Women’s World Cup final preview: England’s Lark Atkin-Davies on swapping teaching for rugby

By Phil Campbell

Lark Atkin-Davies joked that running out at a sold-out Allianz Stadium at the Rugby World Cup final would be child’s play compared to teaching a class of 30 children.

This weekend, the 30-year-old former primary school teacher will find out for sure.

The Bristol Bears hooker, who left teaching in 2019, is set to feature in John Mitchell’s England squad when they face Canada for the biggest prize in women’s rugby in front of a historic world record 82,000 fans.

The roar of the crowd may be a world away from classroom life, but Atkin-Davies says her time in education left a lasting impact.

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“We have Allianz community clubs that we visit as Red Roses, and mine is Luctonians,” she said. “It’s where the first primary school I taught at is, Kingsland Church of England.

“When I went back recently, lots of the girls I’d taught in reception are now playing rugby there. Those moments are super special.

“They called me Miss Lark, because there was another Mrs Davies. For them to see Miss Lark playing rugby when they were four or five, and now to be in their teens playing at the local club, is something I hold really close.”

Atkin-Davies was a second-half substitute in the 2022 World Cup final, when England were beaten 34-31 by New Zealand at Eden Park. Three years on, she believes the pain of that defeat has steeled the squad for their latest shot at glory.

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“You can reflect and learn from it, but it’s made us ready for now,” she said. “Personally, I took massive learnings from that game. But you can’t dwell on it – you’ve got to be in the moment and focus on the game in front of you.

“It’s a very different team now with a very different feel. What happened in 2022 has made us ready for the weekend.”

Saturday’s attendance will be the biggest ever for a women’s international, eclipsing the 58,498 who watched England face France at the Allianz Stadium in 2023, and more than 40,000 above the last World Cup final in Auckland.

The scale of the occasion is hard to ignore, even if England coach John Mitchell is maintaining that trusted line about ‘not making the game bigger than it is’.

“We haven’t necessarily spoken about how we’ll react to all that support and that full stadium, but there’s definitely awareness in the group,” added Lark-Davies.

“You only had to look at the semi-final at Ashton Gate. When we did the lap to thank everyone, the noise was unbelievable. People stayed to join in with the drums and chants – that support is massive for us.

“It’s going to be a special moment, seeing so many England fans at a World Cup final. We’ll embrace it and absolutely love it.”

World Rugby has appointed Allianz as an Official Supporter of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025. The agreement has included confirmation that Allianz Stadium will host the final of the tournament.

READ MORE: Women’s World Cup final preview: Sadia Kabeya on England’s bid for redemption