After six weeks of dominant, dazzling rugby, England’s World Champion Red Roses are undoubtedly the standard-bearers for the sport’s future. This Women’s Rugby World Cup has broken records, with 92% of stadiums filled and the second-biggest attendance for a World Cup final (men’s or women’s) at Allianz Stadium last weekend. The message is loud and clear: the women’s game has arrived, and it’s thriving.

But if this moment feels seismic, it’s because the Red Roses are more than elite rugby players. Over the past 18 months, we’ve worked alongside them to grow their profiles beyond the pitch and it’s been revelatory to watch them shine in spaces where rugby has rarely tread. They’ve claimed national broadcast slots, filled column inches in lifestyle magazines, even debuted in Vogue. For a sport long pigeonholed as niche or one-dimensional, this kind of cultural crossover is transformative, and we’re so proud to have played our part.

What struck us most when we first met the squad  18 months ago wasn’t only their athletic brilliance. It was their individuality. Ellie Kildunne doubles as a Creative Director, Maud Muir thrives as a content creator, Abbie Dow crochets at an elite level, and half the team could run their own podcast network. Their personalities are unfiltered (dressing room knee slides included) and wholly their own, the very thing that’s allowed them to reach people who might never have considered rugby before.

Building on the legacy of change

And while it’s tempting to see the Red Roses as trailblazers alone, they are also the inheritors of a legacy. During the tournament, we honoured all 267 women who have worn the Red Roses shirt with a symbolic display at the London Eye. Hearing their stories, of smaller crowds, thinner coverage, fewer opportunities, underscored how dramatically the sport has changed in just a generation. Saturday’s final confirmed it: the demand for women’s rugby has arrived.

So, what now? Winning a World Cup is one thing. Sustaining its momentum is another. The next step is clear: ensuring the next generation believes they, too, can follow in the Red Roses’ footsteps. This week’s launch of Rugby Fest, a nationwide rollout of 200 taster sessions, is designed to do just that. Each member of the championship squad will show up in person to inspire kids who may be picking up a rugby ball for the very first time.

That’s the Red Roses’ real legacy. They are world champions, yes, but also role models, and ambassadors for a sport in transformation. Their victory is about proving that women’s rugby belongs at the very centre of the global sporting conversation.

The Red Roses are on top of the world. Now it’s time to make sure they stay there. 

This couldn’t be a better time for brands to step forward and take the initiative, supporting the game both at professional and grassroots levels. To the question of ‘what next?’, the answer is anything and everything.