Abbie Ward hoping to emulate Lionesses as Red Roses target 2025 World Cup triumph - 'Why can't we do that for rugby?'
Published 02/01/2025 at 20:05 GMT
Abbie Ward has challenged the Red Roses to use The Lionesses' European Championship win as inspiration for the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup, where England have the chance to lift the trophy on home soil. The Euros win saw a huge surge in participation in football in girls and Ward believes the equivalent can happen for rugby at this year's World Cup.
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Bristol Bears lock Abbie Ward is hoping to follow in the footsteps of The Lionesses' iconic European Championship triumph by winning the Women's Rugby World Cup on home soil in 2025.
Despite dominating the Six Nations with six consecutive wins, the Red Roses have fallen short at the final hurdle in the last two World Cup finals, losing to New Zealand in 2017 and 2022.
The 2014 tournament saw England lift the trophy for the first time since 1994, but 2025 represents a chance for the team to pull off a special feat, with the tournament being held in England.
Ward wants her team-mates to emulate The Lionesses and create history by hoisting the trophy at Twickenham this year.
"We want to win a home World Cup - we've said it, we're not shying away from that, that is our No. 1 goal," Ward said.
"But the other success that I want to see is how we grow the game and create a legacy."
A huge surge in girls playing football at school was attributed to the success of the England women's team, and Ward believes that World Cup glory would push the game even further in terms of professionalism.
"I think we saw what The Lionesses did in the Euros at home," Ward said. "Like it was phenomenal. Like why can't we have that? Why can't we do that for rugby?"
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With 69 caps to her name and appearances at two World Cups, Ward remembers when she had to pay to play the game.
Ward said: "You paid £6 if you started [a game], £4 if you came off the bench, three quid if you're a student, and your £1.50 in the pot for a jacket potato after the game.
"I think that introduction of professional contracts, not just at England, but other nations has really kick-started, I think, a growth of athleticism across the league as well.
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England Lionesses
Image credit: Getty Images
"That, in turn, has really boosted the performance and it's enabled players to grow, not just in terms of strength and in the gym and athletically, but strategically, tactically, technically, so that all around the game has just has gone up and up and up. And with that has come sponsors, has come people watching and it being televised. So yeah, night-and-day different.
"It seems like a long, long time ago now that I was paying £1.50 for a jacket potato up at Darlington."
The 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup will kick off on August 22, with the final taking place at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on September 27.
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