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As the match ended, relief washed over. Before a historic audience, she embraced her Red Roses colleague Lucy Packer and then understood that the England team had secured the Rugby World Cup. The championship match versus Canada had been so “demanding,” Kabeya found it tough to comprehend they were international winners until she the whistle blew. “It was incredible,” Kabeya says. “The end-of-game signal was a lot of relief, a moment to exhale and then: ‘Wow, we’ve achieved it.’”

England’s triumph capped a dominant three years, a 33-game winning run, but the wider effect is what Kabeya remembers most. In particular, getting off the team bus to be welcomed by massive crowds and the roar from the 81,885-strong Twickenham crowd after the anthems.

“I find it hard to describe,” the young forward says. “The team procession was spectacular, a rare opportunity. Just to see the amount of support, the mix of people – parents and children, people who are more youthful, older, loads of men coming to the game – it was massive. I definitely have to watch videos back to relive it because I feel I missed some of it because I was a bit in amazement.

“You gaze upward and you see everyone in the stands. I think of the pointing fingers and being like: ‘See that.’ It was insane. I got my phone out immediately, I was like: ‘I need to film this.’”

If Kabeya was granted unforgettable moments then she also gave spectators something to remember, with a player-of-the-final performance leading the Red Roses to a decisive triumph. Fans voiced her well-known slogan at the title-winning party the following day, when the “celebratory tune” chorus was led by her England teammate Hannah Botterman. These are all moments she did not comprehend could be a actuality a decade ago.

Kabeya first took up the sport about 15 miles south-east of Twickenham, at the Harris city academy in Croydon, south London. First participating with boys, she was encouraged by the PE teacher and ex-international player Bryony Cleall to continue with rugby. When she became part of a new squad, away from south London, she felt she had to alter her behavior to be accepted.

“It was in another part of town, which is a predominantly white area,” Kabeya says. “I was just starting out and I wanted to fit into the team so culturally I changed my musical tastes, my way of talking. I have changed my accent when I was in secondary school but I was a typical resident when I came to Richmond and I kind of wanted to change that and conceal my true identity.

“It’s only as I have gone along in the sport and found those with shared experiences and have helped me rediscover myself that I am discovering my true self. I am myself now.”

Alongside inspiring the next generation, Kabeya has designed gear which will eliminate obstacles deterring involvement. Collaborating with a partner, she has created a satin scrum cap to protect a range of hair types from friction, chafing and damage.

“It’s been a journey because we had to identify perfect textiles with how it can perform without causing discomfort as it has to be something you can wear in rugby, where you’re perspiring and getting through a lot of work but also keeping your hair safe.

“A rugby headgear is something that has been in use for ages, it’s not a groundbreaking concept. But to include this feature, it is such a minor adjustment but it can have significant impact. In secondary school I used to use makeshift protection because I wanted to keep my hair neat but I enjoyed the game so it wasn't an issue.

I was a proper south London girl when I came to Richmond and I attempted to suppress that and suppress myself

“However, for other players that would be enough. It would be: ‘I’m avoiding participation because I want to protect my hair, I want to prevent damage.’ To have something that could keep people in the game or have people join the game is important.”

The conclusion of the tournament has been golden for Kabeya. Her future games for the national team will be in the international tournament in the spring, while in the interim her attention turns to the upcoming Premiership Women’s Rugby season for her team, Loughborough Lightning. In the three years between the last two World Cups, she found it far from easy, dealing with setbacks and a “emotional struggle” during the 2025 Six Nations: “I started assuming: ‘Oh I’ll be okay, I’ll be able to handle it.’

“I think the worse it got off pitch, the worse it got on pitch. I was willing to take time and do the work and speak to the right people to get myself in the best head space for a major tournament. I think, notably in competitive environments, you wait until you hit rock bottom to attempt to make changes. But today, utilizing available help and professionals I can rely on instead of waiting to hit a bump in the road is huge.”