John Mitchell isn’t normally one for grand shows of emotion.

As he sat next to England captain Zoe Aldcroft, celebrating their World Cup win at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon, the Red Roses head coach allowed himself a rare moment of emotional release. The predominant feeling was one of relief.

After previous near misses with England’s men’s side and New Zealand – the country of his birth – Mitchell had at last tasted global glory.

‘I have now been part of bringing closure to a World Cup, which is very fulfilling.’

Mitchell had previously served as England’s assistant coach under Eddie Jones during the 2019 World Cup, where they suffered a final defeat against South Africa. Before this, he was the head coach of the All Blacks, where his team unexpectedly exited at the semi-finals in 2003 despite high expectations.

John Mitchell finally let out his emotions after his England side claimed the Rugby World Cup

England netted their 33rd consecutive victory as they triumphed over Canada at Twickenham

Mitchell has faced the same pressures with England’s women’s side and has delivered the ultimate success.

With a record-setting crowd of 81,885 for a women’s Test match, the Red Roses defeated Canada 33-13. This victory marked their 33rd win in a row and was particularly significant as England had lost the previous two World Cup finals in 2017 and 2022.

“This is an extraordinary team,” Mitchell commented. “We’ve been very good, but we needed to finish what we began three years ago. With 33 wins in a row, we’ve achieved the World Cup victory.”

Mitchell praised his players for achieving “greatness” and stated, “We have the potential to lead the world for a long time, although other countries will catch up as they start investing more in their players. This is just the beginning.”

England’s players each earned £20,000 for their World Cup win and celebrated long into the night on Saturday evening.

The celebrations continued at London’s Battersea Power Station on Sunday. “We’re like most pioneers out there,” remarked Mitchell, who was honored as World Rugby’s women’s coach of the year after the final.

‘They always find another peak to climb and I think we will.’

Inspired by a first-half wonder try from star player Ellie Kildunne, England produced their best performance of the World Cup just when it mattered most. The win was based around forward power and a strong scrum. It was the cherry on top of the cake for English rugby who have hosted a sensational World Cup which is set to be a game-changing moment for the women’s game.

The party continued at Battersea Power Station on Sunday as England celebrated their victory with fans

This World Cup has seen record-breaking numbers tune in – and turn up for matches

The RFU’s impressive investment into women’s rugby first began in earnest in 2018 with the first professional contracts offered to England’s women’s players and they have now reaped their rewards.

Aside from the near 82,000 at Twickenham, a record-breaking peak television audience of 5.8 million viewers tuned in to watch England lift the World Cup on BBC1.

It marked not only the most-watched women’s rugby match ever on UK television but also the most-watched rugby match of any kind in 2025. For contrast, a peak of 5.2m people watched England’s men’s side take on Ireland in their first game of this year’s Six Nations.

Saturday’s women’s final was a remarkable rugby occasion.

As England arrived, supporters hung from every vantage point at Twickenham to grab a view of Mitchell’s players.

The Red Roses followed their English football compatriots the Lionesses in lifting major silverware this summer, bringing to an end what has been a glorious few months of women’s sport.

Players such as Kildunne are now set to see their profiles go to another level with it likely offers for brand deals and collaborations will explode on the back of this success.

Saturday’s victory is set to make individual stars out of the champions – with brand deals likely en route for star player Ellie Kildunne

Within minutes of the final win, the RFU released World Cup celebration merchandise and Mitchell’s players will undertake visits to grassroots clubs in the coming weeks as part of an RFU mission to capitalise on England’s latest success and inspire a new generation of women’s rugby stars. ‘I’m excited about what’s to come for women’s rugby,’ said Kildunne, whose try was a moment of pure brilliance.

‘I love the pressure. It just means people care.

‘I always believed we would do well in this tournament and we’re going to keep on building.

‘If we have the ambition to keep on getting better, there is no reason why we can’t win a World Cup again.’