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As the final whistle blew, relief washed over. With a massive turnout watching, she hugged her England teammate Lucy Packer and finally grasped that the Red Roses had won the Rugby World Cup. The championship match versus Canada had been so “exhausting,” Kabeya found it hard to believe they were world champions until she heard that sound. “It was amazing,” Kabeya says. “The full-time whistle was a lot of ease, a opportunity to relax and then: ‘Wow, we’ve achieved it.’”

England’s victory capped a lengthy winning streak, a 33-game winning run, but the wider effect is what Kabeya recalls fondly. In particular, exiting the team coach to be greeted by thousands of supporters and the applause from the packed stadium after the anthems.

“I find it hard to describe,” the 23-year-old flanker says. “The stadium entrance was unforgettable, a once in a lifetime experience. Just to witness the incredible backing, the variety present – parents and children, people who are less mature, more senior, numerous guys in the stands – it was immense. I definitely have to watch videos back to experience it again because I feel I missed some of it because I was a bit in shock.

“You look up and you observe the entire crowd. I think of the pointing fingers and being like: ‘See that.’ It was unreal. I quickly pulled out my phone, I was like: ‘I need to film this.’”

If Kabeya was left with lifelong memories then she also made some for the fans, with a award-winning match effort guiding her team to a 33-13 win. Crowds chanted her now-familiar chant at the title-winning party the day after, when the “Do, do, do Sadia Kabeya” was sung by her England teammate Hannah Botterman. These are all moments she did not comprehend could be a reality a ten years back.

Kabeya first took up the sport about a short distance from the stadium, at the a local institution in the London borough of Croydon. First participating with boys, she was supported by her coach and ex-international player Bryony Cleall to follow her passion. When she started at her initial team, away from south London, she felt she had to adjust her identity to fit in.

“It was in another part of town, which is a largely homogeneous neighborhood,” Kabeya says. “I was inexperienced and I wanted to fit into the team so I adjusted my habits the songs I enjoyed, my speech patterns. I don’t speak how I used to speak when I was in high school but I was a true local when I moved to the area and I felt the need to adjust and suppress myself.

“It’s only as I have progressed in rugby and found those with shared experiences and have brought me out of my shell again that I am embracing my identity. I am authentic today.”

While encouraging future athletes, Kabeya has developed a product which will reduce hurdles blocking some from taking up the sport. Working with her sponsor, she has developed a specialized headgear to safeguard various textures from friction, irritation and damage.

“It’s been a journey because we had to identify perfect textiles with how it can function while allowing airflow as it has to be something you can wear in rugby, where you’re perspiring and facing physical demands but also maintaining hair health.

“A scrum cap is something that has been in use for ages, it’s not a groundbreaking concept. But to incorporate this element, it is such a minor adjustment but it can have significant impact. In my younger days I used to use makeshift protection because I wanted to keep my hair neat but I loved the sport so it wasn't an issue.

I was a true local when I moved to the area and I wanted to change that and suppress myself

“However, for other players that would be it. It would be: ‘I’m staying away because I prefer to avoid damage, I don’t want to have breakage.’ To have gear that supports involvement or have people join the game is huge.”

The completion of the competition has been triumphant for the player. Her next appearance in an England jersey will be in the Six Nations in April, while in the interim her focus will be on the forthcoming domestic league for her team, Loughborough Lightning. In the three years between the last two World Cups, she found it rather difficult, dealing with setbacks and a “mental dip” during the recent tournament: “I started assuming: ‘Oh I’ll be alright, I’ll be able to get through it.’

“I think the harder her personal life was, the more it affected her performance. I was capable of stepping back and do the work and seek appropriate help to get myself in the best head space for a global competition. I think, especially in sport, you wait until you hit rock bottom to try and do something about it. However currently, accessing support systems and experts I can consult regularly as opposed to reacting to issues is important.”