England's 'explorers' will find new peak to conquer

ENGLAND head coach John Mitchell has declared his world champions will seek new summits to scale once celebrations over seizing New Zealand's crown have subsided.

- By DUNCAN BECH

Ellie Kildunne produced the highlight of the final with a thrilling solo score

A 33-13 rout of Canada in Saturday’s World Cup final at Allianz Stadium has given the Red Roses’ dominance of the game the ultimate validation following so many near-misses at previous tournaments.

Their winning run now reads a record 33 consecutive victories and they have lost just once in 64 Tests, against the Black Ferns in the 2022 showpiece. Mitchell, however, insists there is more to come.

“We're no different to most explorers in the world. They always find another peak to climb and I think we will” said Mitchell, who replaced Simon Middleton as head coach in 2023.

“These girls are driven. They've changed my life and the way I think. A trophy is one thing, a medal is another, but the value and the quality of the people you work with is the ultimate”

Zoe Aldcroft, only the fourth England captain to lift a World Cup, insists her team is driven by more than success as the sport looks to build on a tournament that administrators have described as “transformational”