Scale of World Cup win unimaginable, says England star Hunt

England scrum-half Natasha Hunt said the scale of their World Cup final victory - and the size of the crowd - was "unimaginable".

The Red Roses swept aside Canada 33-13 at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium in front of 81,855 people - a record for a women's rugby match.

Hunt, 36, is a veteran of England's most recent World Cup win in 2014 and was controversially left out of the squad for the 2022 tournament.

"I don't think any of us could have imagined it would have been like this," she said.

"I am so proud of the girls. I hope this stays for women's rugby."

Team-mate Abbie Ward, who scored England's fifth and final try, said the victory was an achievement for the current team rather than redemption for the upset by New Zealand at Eden Park in the final of the previous tournament.

"The last final loss, that was then," she said.

"This is a new team. This is a new chapter of women's rugby. It wasn't about righting wrongs. This is our little moment.

"This team has been special. What we've done has been special. The support, the crowd, the friends and family involved... it's been magical."

Head coach John Mitchell, who suffered semi-final defeat when he led his native New Zealand at the men's World Cup in 2003 and was part of England's men's back-room staff when they lost in the final of the 2019 tournament, said he was philosophical about the result coming into the final.

"Sometimes you get them and sometimes you don't," he said.

"Simon Middleton (Mitchell's predecessor) has made some amazing foundations and we've brought into that.

"I'm very proud to be a part of this. I'm having a few beers tonight."

Centre Meg Jones, who missed out on the world player of the year award to Canada's Sophie de Goede, praised her team-mates' resilience.

"This game doesn't care about adversity. It just cares about the repeated efforts you put in," she said.

"It's crazy. You only have to look at the Six Nations and how we've grown. It's amazing how far we've come. Women's sport is on a high. Let's keep it there."

England's players will celebrate with the public at a free event at Battersea Power Station on Sunday from 14:00 BST.