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Abbie Ward’s life has been transformed since England’s last World Cup final appearance but, in some ways, little has changed. While motherhood has taught her that, in theory, there are bigger things to worry about than a game of rugby, there is no disguising that victory on Saturday would be the sweetest of redemption stories.
Three years ago in Auckland it all came down to the final lineout of a spectacular final. Secure possession to set up a familiar driving maul and the trophy would be heading the way of the Red Roses. Instead New Zealand nicked the ball off Ward’s fingertips and, for a second successive tournament, England and their relentless lock forward had to settle for honourable defeat.
Given Ward had long kept a picture in her purse of her No 4 jersey on its peg from 2017 to fuel her motivation levels and the pain of another major defeat was considerable. “It’s a cruel, cruel sport,” she murmured to a couple of us below the stands at Eden Park as she tried her best to rationalise the unthinkable.
Yet here she is again, now 32, looking to make it third time lucky while juggling her career alongside being a mum to two-year-old Hallie. She freely admits it would mean even more to conquer the world with Hallie (along with her husband, Dave, now the head coach of Ampthill) up in the stands. “To have her pitchside, to be able to see her in the crowd when we line up to sing the anthem, it’s so special. She’s the biggest Red Roses fan and it’s amazing to be able to share that with her.”
So, no pressure. Ward, though, is adamant the Red Roses will not wilt under the heavy weight of expectation and the presence of a world record 82,000 crowd for a standalone women’s fixture this weekend. “Yes, we have never played in front of 82,000 but what we have experienced is huge crowds, pressure games and pressure moments. And we’re at home. We are used to getting off the bus and doing that walk [through the crowd], we are used to the roar and the noise. We love it and thrive off that.”
Tactically speaking the aim is not to reinvent the wheel; as Ward makes clear the squad have been preparing for this game “for what seems like three years.” And during all that time the Bristol forward has been driven on by both a motivation to show that mothers can come back stronger after childbirth and to help her team inspire the next generation of young girls and boys.
“To see the number of young girls on their mum or dad’s shoulders, watching our games, facepaint on, waving flags, it’s unbelievable. It’s about more than what we’re doing on the pitch. It’s about inspiring that generation and showing girls that they can do it; that they can be strong, powerful, and put their minds to whatever they want to.”
The women’s game has certainly come a long way since Ward’s distant representative debut. “My first cap was away in Swansea when we lost to Wales and there must have been 40 people in the crowd. If you had told me then that in 2025 I would be playing in a World Cup final at a sold-out Twickenham, I could not even have contemplated that. I am so proud to have been part of the women’s rugby journey. It’s more than just a game, it’s all of us. It means an awful lot and to have my daughter as part of that is so special.”
And while little Hallie is clearly a rugby connoisseur – apparently she likes to watch videos of Amy Cokayne while having her hair brushed – she remains blissfully unaware of how much her arrival has altered her mum’s outlook. Where previously Ward was “quite a serious individual” and “very process driven” her eyes have now been opened to the role of enjoyment in high performance sport.
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“Coming back after [having Hallie] has made me think: ‘Just enjoy it’. When I was away with the team in Vancouver, it was the first time where I didn’t have to wake up really early, didn’t have to think about bath time. I thought: ‘I’m just going to enjoy the experience’. It’s helped me not take it so seriously.”
And instead of the old picture in her purse, she now has a different driver. “If you want to know about that photo, it’s on my wall with a load of different Polaroids from big and meaningful moments across the years. Although they might not have been the moments we wanted to feel in 2017 and 2022, they have got us to where we are. But Hallie is my motivation now. When we’re working really hard or doing horrible sessions on the pitch I’ll think: ‘Pretend Hallie is at the end.’ It does give me that extra boost. It means an awful lot.”
All of which will keep Ward fighting to the finish this Saturday in pursuit of complete career fulfilment. For now, though, she has no plans to retire, citing Alun Wyn Jones, Sam Whitelock and Courtney Lawes as warrior inspirations and all that matters is the here and now. “‘Redemption’ or whatever would be the easy thing to say. It’s a different squad, it’s a different opposition, it’s a different World Cup. I feel like we are in a new age of women’s rugby, a new age of sold-out stadiums and millions of people tuning in. Dwelling on any of the other [finals] wouldn’t serve any purpose. It’s all about this Saturday.”
