Shaunagh Brown column: Why England's World Cup final is about more than rugby

Being successful a World Cup last evidently means everything - winning it would too, of course.

Two of the world's champion teams volition springiness perfectly everything they person successful beforehand of a packed assemblage for 80 minutes and radical volition spot conscionable however breathtaking women's rugby tin be.

Obviously, I anticipation England win. Not conscionable for myself and my team-mates, but to amusement that investing successful women works.

We person had full-time contracts for our XVs broadside since 2019, investing much successful the women's crippled than immoderate different union.

Winning the World Cup would amusement the powerfulness that tin person and, I hope, promote others to travel us.

As overmuch arsenic you tin get frustrated that it has not happened already, it is ne'er excessively precocious to commencement investing to spot results.

England's semi-final against Canada and New Zealand's against France were incredibly competitory too.

Straight aft the Black Ferns won, an other 8,000 tickets were sold for the last and the organisers are present looking to spot if they tin merchandise much for an adjacent bigger crowd.

I tin recognize wherefore radical bash not privation to miss out. Both sides volition person immoderate of the fastest wingers successful the satellite dancing on the touchlines.

Then you volition person big, dense forwards going astatine each other. Whether you cognize overmuch astir rugby oregon not, you volition beryllium entertained.

• England's line-out paper to antagonistic New Zealand's backs
• 'You request crippled program A, B, C and D'
• Scare means England volition beryllium acceptable for final

'I ne'er thought I was going to play successful the World Cup'

Brown was a precocious call-up for England's semi-final triumph against Canada

This World Cup besides means a batch to maine personally.

When I was archetypal picked for the tourney successful September, I wrote astir being arrogant that I had defied society's expectations of me.

I arrived successful New Zealand arsenic a non-playing reserve, expecting to enactment the matchday broadside successful their campaign.

I was a precocious call-up to play against South Africa successful the excavation signifier due to the fact that Vickii Cornborough had taken a knock, and past I was brought into the semi-final squad the time earlier the lucifer aft Hannah Botterman was injured successful training.

Someone said to maine erstwhile that my beingness is similar a Disney movie - I emotion that analogy due to the fact that I ne'er cognize what is going to hap to maine next.

In the South Africa game, I was crying during the nationalist anthem. I was already affectional due to the fact that the opus they play earlier each crippled - Unstoppable - is adjacent to excavation and my fiance Benjii's hearts.

I thought I was not going to play successful the World Cup astatine all.

I americium conscionable a kid from Peckham chucking astir an egg-shaped shot - good actually, mostly grabbing connected to it and moving into different people. I cannot judge wherever beingness has taken me.

'A clash of the titans'

This England broadside has had its sights acceptable connected this last since the past World Cup successful 2017 - wherever the Red Roses mislaid the decider against New Zealand.

Since that day, everything I person ever done successful rugby has been astir playing successful a World Cup.

I watched the 2017 last astatine location due to the fact that I had lone precocious taken up the athletics having competed internationally successful hammer propulsion before.

Since I person been successful the England squad, everything we person done has been successful mentation for this.

Because of the concern to springiness america full-time contracts, we person been capable to make a wide squad of players who cognize our strategy and tin determination successful and retired of the side.

That means that nary substance what is thrown astatine america oregon who we play, we person assurance that we person got this.

New Zealand person thrown the shot astir this tournament. England person been much astir operation and everyone knowing precisely what their relation is.

It volition beryllium a clash of the titans. This last volition amusement radical what women's rugby players are susceptible of. Why would you not privation to ticker it?

That is wherefore it is truthful important to maine and wherefore it is astir truthful overmuch much than conscionable the athletics itself.

But also, conscionable truthful we are clear, I truly privation to win.

Shaunagh Brown was speaking to BBC Sport's Becky Grey.

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