It was fitting that after the Lionesses paraded along The Mall with the Euro 2025 trophy, the players were dropped off at Twickenham Stadium.
There were a few bleary eyes and sore heads after two days of partying, but captain Leah Williamson took a moment to film a quick message.
“Seeing as we are at Twickenham, this is where we are finishing our journey, I just want to hand over to the Red Roses,” said Williamson. “Thank you so much for your support this summer. Go do your thing, we believe in you.”
The Red Roses were heavily invested in the Lionesses’ journey to winning the Euros this summer and, the day after the final, arrived for training in England football shirts.
The squad watched the Lionesses’ games while in camp, with a video of them celebrating Michelle Agyemang’s dramatic equaliser against Italy in the semi-finals going viral thanks to centre Megan Jones whipping her shirt off and twirling it over her head in a manner Chloe Kelly would be proud of.
The #RedRoses react to THAT Agyemang goal😍
— Red Roses (@RedRosesRugby) July 22, 2025
Come on @Lionesses! 😍@O2 #WearTheRose pic.twitter.com/pPmfLeaxz4
The Lionesses captured the country’s attention by retaining their European crown this summer - and the ripple effect has been felt by the Red Roses.
Data from viagogo, the world’s largest secondary ticket marketplace, shows that searches for the Women's Rugby Cup increased by 121 per cent on the platform in the week following the Lionesses’ win.
Ticket sales for the World Cup have already reached record-breaking levels, with over 330,000 sold as of last month - more than double the total attendance of the last tournament in New Zealand.
All eyes will be on England, who are out to be crowned world champions for the first time since 2014, and captain Zoe Aldcroft says the squad are using the triumphant Lionesses as inspiration.
“What the Lionesses have been doing is remarkable,” she says. “It’s incredible that you see the country getting behind them, and that is something we want to build and achieve that momentum.”
England head coach John Mitchell said he wanted “no regrets” going into this World Cup and his preparations have underlined that.
The Red Roses had five training camps, beginning in June, before the final squad was named at the end of July.
Brutal, challenging, long, hot and sweaty were among the words used by players to describe the camps - with the last one taking place in the searing heat of Treviso, Italy.
Mitchell believes the tournament, which England kick-off on Friday against the USA in Sunderland, could be played in high temperatures and wanted the squad to be ready for that.
The sessions in Treviso were tough, but players were also afforded some downtime. Team bonding is a big part of the squad’s dynamic and they have socials once a week, usually group dinners. Given they were in Italy, a Prosecco vineyard tour was organised.
Mitchell has done well to foster team unity given that he has used plenty of players throughout the course of this year.
The whole of 2025 has been building towards the World Cup with Mitchell having “one team operating as two”. It has made competition for places exceptionally fierce.
“It’s a huge advantage, it’s healthy,” says Mitchell. “If you don’t have competition and you don’t have people chasing each other, how do you push and raise the bar?”
Mitchell is right to set such high standards given the task at hand. England arrive at this World Cup with a clear aim - becoming champions.
The Red Roses’ last defeat was the previous World Cup final, against New Zealand over 1,000 days ago.
Their winning streak stands at 27 games and started before Mitchell took charge in the autumn of 2023.
Since then, England have been building to this moment and their final warm-up game was an emphatic 40-6 win over France - their biggest victory against them in 30 matches.
Such a victory ramps up the pressure on England, who have been drawn in Pool A alongside Australia, Samoa and USA.
“You hear this word ‘pressure’ all the time - it’s just a word,” says Mitchell. “You have got to turn it into an action and some people tend to frame it negatively.
“And when you frame it negatively it becomes the risk of failure, whereas I see this as an opportunity to be successful.”
England know they will have a target on their back as the No1 team in the world and there are contenders to stop them achieving their aim.
Reigning champions New Zealand boast a strong side that was boosted in April by the record try-scorer in World Cup history, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, coming out of retirement.
Canada, ranked second and above New Zealand, have been backed by financial investment and have openly declared their aim is to win the World Cup.
The Red Roses, however, have their own star names ready to take centre stage.
Mitchell has urged his players to reach their potential and England have a squad packed with talent, including full-back Ellie Kildunne - the 2024 World Player of the Year.
There is plenty of experience, too, with a combined 1,374 international caps among the 32 players picked by Mitchell.
Only eight of them are tournament debutants and many will still be feeling the pain of the last World Cup, when England lost in the final.
An early red card for wing Lydia Thompson put the Red Roses on the back foot and New Zealand claimed a 34-31 victory.
It is why part of the preparations this time has been planning for all scenarios that could crop up.
“We can create a really quite niggly camp if you like,” says Mitchell. “We want to be ready for any form of unfairness and it will come at some point. Look at the way cards and HIA's (Head Injury Assessments) have advanced the game in that area.
“I’d rather be ready for every eventuality - and even then, we probably won’t be ready for every eventuality.
“If we don’t create that exposure, then we’re probably going to let ourselves down as we did at the last World Cup.”
From the Lionesses’ parade to the Red Roses’ World Cup charge, the message from Twickenham is clear: England’s summer of champions isn’t over yet.
