‘Ignore the noise’ – how World Cup favourites England can beat the pressure

The slumber party they hosted on Wednesday before their semi-final capped off England’s strategy of being clear favorites for their home World Cup.

The team assembled for a movie night by watching Step Up, a 1940s movie about an underdog dancer having his day on a big stage, on the projector at their base.

It demonstrates England’s effort to end an 11-year search for the world title and become world champions for the first time on their own soil as a result.

According to David Richardson, an experienced consultant in sports leadership and an honorary visiting professor at Liverpool John Moores University, “It’s about ignoring the noise around them and making sure they don’t care if they are favorites.”

The outcome will look after itself as long as you have an internal expectation. People will anticipate, but they have defeated strong opponents in the final, so the goal is to dispel the myth.

World No. 1 England are the clear favorites for the Saturday final at Twickenham, but the top-ranked teams on earth might compete in it.

The English have triumphed in 37 of their previous 13 meetings in nine years when they have faced off against each other. In the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup and the 2014 World Cup final, the Red Roses defeated the Canadians.

Sarah Hunter is now the team’s defense coach and was a member of the winning team in 2014 when England lost in the heartbreaking 2022 final.

She will need to have experience with young players to deal with nerves around camp.

She says, “You have to have faith in the whole process, the plan, and people.”

When we won in 2014, and on the day of the final, everyone was so relaxed and composed. Everyone was aware of the duties and responsibilities that they would have. We lacked the need to “make it bigger.”

Being one of the few national teams with a completely professional setup, both for players and coaches, helps Mitchell’s side.

Charlie Hayter, the head of women’s performance since 2023, and other members of their backroom staff have responsibilities that prioritize the players’ psychological well-being.

In order to increase their chances of winning their first World Cup, Canada, meanwhile, had to crowdfund some of their costs.

The difference in support off the pitch could be significant, even though the Canadians have a number of world-class players and exerted pressure on England in their most recent meeting, a 21-12 defeat in 2024.

The key point from England has been to alter the narrative that the country has come so far on numerous occasions. They have reached six of their previous finals, but they have lost just one.

There are many new faces in addition to the 12 starting 15 from the 2022 final. This year, eight of the 32-woman squad made their World Cup debuts, and they all have a different coach.

According to Richardson, the only way to get past the fear of failing as a result of 2022 is to change the narrative.

There were difficult decisions that they had to make in the final that didn’t go their way.

You have a skilled squad, but the focus of the story is on handling this circumstance rather than rehashing the past. It is a compelling narrative that emphasizes securing their best chance.

“Seizing opportunities is unfinished business,” the phrase says. You can see that the players are buying into it as it appears to be filtering through.

You can get hung up on the past because it’s like the England men’s football team. However, the camp had a different vibe three years ago, with different staff members and different countries. Nothing about the weekend is involved.

The favorite tag adds pressure, and the omnipresent message that women’s sports are leaving a legacy and inspiring future generations is also present.

However, England manager Mitchell stated that “this team” would not be defined by their failure to win the World Cup at their squad announcement in July.

This week, RFU Chairman Bill Sweeney stated on the BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly podcast that “the legacy is already in place.

“We’re bringing in a lot more brand-new fans,” the company’s goal was always to promote the game. More volunteers and more players are attracted to us.