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As the game concluded, relief washed over. With a massive turnout watching, she celebrated with fellow player Lucy Packer and only then realised that the England team had secured the Rugby World Cup. The final against Canada had been so “demanding,” Kabeya found it tough to comprehend they were international winners until she the final signal came. “It was amazing,” Kabeya says. “The full-time whistle was a lot of ease, a opportunity to relax and then: ‘Wow, we’ve accomplished it.’”

England’s success capped a lengthy winning streak, a 33 consecutive victories, but the off-field impact is what Kabeya remembers most. Notably, getting off the team bus to be met with throngs of fans and the roar from the 81,885-strong Twickenham crowd after the anthems.

“I find it hard to describe,” the young forward says. “The walk-in was amazing, a unique moment. Just to see the amount of support, the variety present – families, people who are less mature, elderly, many male attendees – it was massive. 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 gaze upward and you notice all the spectators. I recall people gesturing and being like: ‘Check it out.’ It was unreal. I instantly reached for my device, I was like: ‘I need to film this.’”

If Kabeya was provided lasting recollections then she also created memories for supporters, with a award-winning match effort guiding her team to a 33-13 win. Thousands sang her popular refrain at the Battersea Power Station celebrations 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 reality a in her younger days.

Kabeya first started playing rugby about 15 miles south-east of Twickenham, at the her school in her hometown. First participating with boys, she was supported by her coach and retired athlete Bryony Cleall to pursue the sport. When she became part of a new squad, in a different locale, she felt she had to alter her behavior to be accepted.

“It was in a different area, which is a mostly white community,” Kabeya says. “I was young and I hoped to be accepted so I adjusted my habits my musical tastes, my way of talking. I have changed my accent when I was in my teens but I was a proper south London girl when I came to Richmond and I felt the need to adjust and conceal my true identity.

“It’s only as I have progressed in rugby and found those with shared experiences and have helped me rediscover myself that I am embracing my identity. I am myself now.”

While encouraging future athletes, Kabeya has developed a product which will remove more barriers deterring involvement. Collaborating with a partner, she has produced a unique rugby cap to safeguard various textures from friction, rubbing and drying.

“It’s been a process because we had to source suitable fabric with how it can perform without causing discomfort as it has to be suitable for athletic use, where you’re losing fluids and undergoing intense activity but also keeping your hair safe.

“A rugby headgear is something that has been around for a long, long time, it’s not a revolutionary idea. But to add this layer, it is such a small thing but it can make such a big difference. In secondary school I used to play with a plastic bag on my head because I aimed to maintain my hairstyle but I loved the sport so it didn't deter me.

I was a true local when I joined the club and I wanted to change that and conceal my true identity

“However, for some girls that would be enough. It would be: ‘I’m avoiding participation because I prefer to avoid damage, I aim to maintain health.’ To have equipment that encourages participation or attract new players is huge.”

The ending of this World Cup cycle has been triumphant for the player. Her next appearance in an England jersey will be in the Six Nations in the spring, while in the meantime her focus will be on the forthcoming domestic league for her club, Loughborough Lightning. In the period leading up to the tournament, she found it quite challenging, dealing with setbacks and a “emotional struggle” during the previous competition: “I entered believing: ‘Oh I’ll be okay, I’ll be able to handle it.’

“I think the harder her personal life was, the poorer she played. I was able to go away and do the work and speak to the right people to achieve optimal mental state for a major tournament. I think, notably in competitive environments, you wait until you hit rock bottom to try and do something about it. But today, having the resources and experts I can consult regularly instead of waiting to hit a bump in the road is huge.”