By James Reid
Marlie Packer‘s legacy will not be defined by what happens at next year’s Rugby World Cup, but the England captain knows she can cement one stronger than any other by leading her side to victory on home soil next summer.
The 34-year-old is one of just four members of the last England team to win the World Cup a decade ago in the current squad, alongside Emily Scarratt, Alex Matthews and Natasha Hunt.
Packer will lead the Red Roses out as captain at the newly-named Allianz Stadium in Twickenham should they reach next year’s final.
World Cup Beckoning
Captaining your side to victory at a home World Cup is an opportunity Packer knows comes to few athletes, and the chance to do so at the home of English rugby in front of a capacity crowd was one that seemed remote at the start of her rugby career.
Packer knows the next 12 months are about more than just individual honours and moments, but about inspiring future generations of girls and leaving an even stronger pathway than the one she followed.
Whatever happens next year, if Packer leads England out in the World Cup final, she will think back to her first visit to HQ and the journey she has gone on to reach such a moment.
She said: “I can remember as a kid when I did a stadium tour here. I must have been seven or eight, just started playing rugby.
“I stole a bit of grass, and my grandad planted it when I got home, so he has always had this bit of Twickenham turf.
“Now this is the norm for me to be here, this is where I come and play some of my best rugby. It is a whirlwind of how much my career has changed.
Growing Game
“One of my first international caps was probably about 20-30 people and a dog coming to watch, to now coming out here at Allianz Stadium in front of 58,000 in a Grand Slam decider against France [in 2023], it’s pretty epic.
“It’s incredible we can get those numbers for a standalone women’s rugby union game. To be a part of that and see the journey has been very special.
“One day I will be able to look back and say I played my small part in that and hopefully those that went before me can look back and say they played their part to where we are now.
”The big aim is not only to win the 2025 Rugby World Cup on home soil, but to do so in front of a sell-out crowd at the home of English rugby.
“That is still a way in the distance yet and the next target is a bumper crowd for the visit of reigning World Cup winners New Zealand to Allianz Stadium in 14 September.”
Building Momentum
It is part of a pair of warm-up matches that also sees the Red Roses take on France at Kingsholm the week before ahead of the WXV competition in Canada.
It will be the second time this year the Red Roses have played at Allianz Stadium, following victory over Ireland in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations, and Packer hopes the blockbuster clash can kickstart a big year for women’s rugby.
She added: “The momentum that this next block of games is going to bring is massive for our game. With the 2025 World Cup on the horizon and the World Cup final being at Allianz Stadium, all eyes are on the Red Roses.
“You can be a bit daunted by that when you first come here so the more we can do where this is our home, players when they take the field it will be no different apart from there is a sea of fans there to support you.
“We want to play here at Allianz Stadium as often as we can but also remembering that the Red Roses going on the road around the country is bringing in a wider audience.
“We want to be accessible; I want to inspire the future not just for women’s rugby but also for men’s rugby.”
Black Ferns in Town
The visit of the Black Ferns is billed as a friendly but there is likely to be little left out on the pitch when the world’s two best sides meet.
Victory is always the target for Packer, but it is all couched in the wider goal of clinching that elusive World Cup crown following dramatic defeat in 2022.
Should they achieve it, Packer is confident it will create a new generation of rugby fans across the country.
“The journey, where it started taking that piece of grass, to where I am at now has been crazy,” she said.
“The short-term goal is turning up and performing against France and New Zealand and in WXV but that long-term goal seems very short these days, 2025 World Cup final at Allianz Stadium.
“That will be the icing on the cake for me and my career. What I hope to do in that time is to keep leading the Red Roses but also keep inspiring future generations to get involved in rugby.
“We have got this really special launchpad; to have a home World Cup, like the Euros in women’s football, it’s not just about what we can do for women’s rugby, but also what we can do for women’s sport.
“All eyes will be on us and it is about us making sure we can maximise it in every way we can.”
Allianz recently pledged a long-term commitment to rugby through a multi-year partnership with the Rugby Football Union. See the Red Roses take on the Black Ferns at the newly named Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on the 14 September. Head to //EnglandRugby.com/Tickets to secure your tickets!
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Rosie Galligan: 2025 Rugby World Cup can have same impact as Euro 2022 on Women’s game
