3 weeks ago
Who has lifted nan Rugby World Cup for England?
Ask astir that mobility and astir will spell consecutive to Martin Johnson successful 2003 and others mightiness adhd Katy Daley-McLean successful 2014.
However, earlier those celebrated victories, England were crowned champions of nan world successful a crippled that deserves greater fanfare.
In 1994, Karen Almond captained England to a first World Cup triumph pinch a 38-23 triumph complete nan United States successful Edinburgh.
"Depending connected which of nan newspaper reports you read, anyplace betwixt 5,000-7,000 were location that day," recalled Gill Burns, who played successful nan last for England astatine number eight.
"People were connected nan roofs, connected balconies and sitting successful nan parkland connected nan elevation watching."
This was nan 2nd Women's World Cup pursuing nan United States' triumph complete England successful 1991.
Both were called nan World Championship because nan International Rugby Board (IRB) - now known arsenic World Rugby - did not recognise nan first 2 editions of nan tournament.
That yet changed successful 2009 - pinch nan thief of Burns' mother, who created an medium from her daughter's playing days that helped beryllium nan tournament's legitimacy.
"I kept astir worldly and my mum was really bully astatine organising," Burns told BBC'S Rugby Union Weekly.
"I knew it would beryllium typical and a wealth 1 day. I kept tickets, programmes and small things that don't mean thing astatine nan time."
England were astir denied nan opportunity to avenge their 1991 last conclusion aft nan IRB prevented nan Netherlands from hosting nan 1994 competition, arsenic problems pinch world nickname continued.
However, Scotland stepped successful precocious successful nan time to prevention nan tournament.
"Thank goodness for Sue Brodie and Sandra Colamartino and nan women's players who said 'we request to prevention this World Cup'," Burns added.
"We were truthful fortunate to beryllium capable to fulfil that dream of going to different World Cup and facing nan United States, who we knew we could beat, and we will everlastingly beryllium successful nan indebtedness of those girls who made it happen."
With nan tourney confirmed, travel, nutrient and accommodation had to beryllium sorted by nan players and unit themselves because of nan amateur quality of nan sport.
"It was awesome to beryllium an England player," said Burns. "But it was professionalism pinch a mini 'p'."
Giselle Mather, who played astatine centre successful nan final, was a coach astatine Orleans Park School successful Twickenham and remembers raffle tickets being advertised successful her schoolhouse assembly to thief money nan recreation and accommodation.
"It was incredible. The kids came successful nan adjacent time pinch their parents' summons money truthful we could spend nan trip," Mather added.
"The past assembly earlier I near location was truthful overmuch support for me. I was fixed clip disconnected to spell and monolithic support."
The World Cup successful 2022 lasted 5 weeks. Burns and Mather's schedule was overmuch much compact pinch their 5 games being played crossed 18 days.
Wins complete Russia and hosts Scotland successful nan excavation shape were followed by victories complete Canada and France successful nan knockout rounds. There was precious small clip to flooded immoderate niggles earlier nan final.
"I was permanently bruised and aching, but it was thing you were utilized to," Burns recalled.
"I don't retrieve letting myself consciousness achy aliases antagonistic successful immoderate way."
The World Cup last successful 1991 vanished 19-6 to nan United States, pinch a ample information of nan England squad returning 3 years later wished to avenge that defeat.
Burns, centre Jacquie Edwards and full-back Jane Mitchell scored tries and successful summation to 2 punishment tries triumph was secured to spark chaotic scenes of celebration.
"At nan full-time whistle I fell to nan crushed because I was truthful exhausted," said Burns.
"The crowd past ran on. There were nary barriers aliases stewards and they were belting maine complete nan caput arsenic I was kneeling connected nan floor. By nan clip I sewage to my feet nan transportation was full.
"I sewage my badge and recovered nan girls and held nan trophy aloft."
That evening nan England players were invited to a banquet pinch nan different 10 nations, wherever they celebrated into nan early hours of nan greeting until an unexpected occurrence siren yet ended their night.
But nan infinitesimal that Mather remembers astir fondly is being connected nan BBC's flagship sports programme Grandstand to watch highlights of nan game.
"We sewage 15 minutes connected it and it showed nan tries. It was incredible," she recalled.
"I was blown distant to beryllium connected nan sports show that I had watched arsenic a small 1 going 'I want to do that' 1 day."
The original trophy was mislaid for 15 years until Burns' parents recovered a mini woody container tucked distant successful their loft.
It has since returned to Twickenham, wherever nan players of 1994 met past Saturday to watch nan Red Roses conclusion Ireland successful beforehand of a crowd of 48,778.
It was a infinitesimal that signified really their triumph 30 years earlier helped alteration nan women's game.
