Cokayne revels in redemption and forwards masterclass

Three years after scoring three tries in a losing cause, Amy Cokayne finally had her redemption moment in a Rugby World Cup final.

Cokayne grabbed a place on the scoresheet again — just the one try this time — as England's front row provided the power behind the Red Roses' glory.

And the 29-year-old, who will start the forthcoming PWR campaign with her new club Sale Sharks following her summer move from Leicester Tigers, was at the heart of all the forward endeavour for John Mitchell.

"I've been a bridesmaid a few times now, so to finally get the win was amazing, and it was the best rugby we've played all tournament too," said Cokayne.

"I think I've separated the past from this already. This was a whole new tournament and a whole new group. That loss in New Zealand still hurts, but this just feels a whole lot sweeter.

"That crowd was insane. When they told us three years ago they were going to sell out the Allianz Stadium, we all laughed, so to have a world record 82,000 there —that's just incredible.

"Our forwards have really stepped up this tournament. We told the team, 'we've got you girls,' and we love the close-quarter stuff.

"We've got confidence in each other, we train very hard, we scrummage a lot, and we've got the reward for that."

Cokayne was planning a long night of celebrations at England's south-west London training base, with a winners' celebration event at Battersea Power Station on Sunday.

She'll get a two-week break for some much-needed rest and relaxation before returning to business with her new club side.

"We saw what happened with football when the Lionesses won the Euros, and hopefully that's our story now when we get back to our clubs and the PWR," she added.

England's forwards comfortably outscored the backs throughout this tournament, and Loughborough Lightning flanker Sadia Kabeya was deservedly named player of the match for another all-action display.

“It’s amazing. I just want to say thank you to everyone who came out today—you were our 16th player, and we are so grateful," she said.

“Being world champions sounds amazing. It’s a pinch-me moment; it has been years in the making, and I’m so happy we could pull it off.

“We have been working so hard for this, and we did all the right things today. To win here, at home, in front of a record-breaking crowd—you can’t ask for more than that.”