Inside England's Red Roses winning camp: tattoos, forfeit hairstyles and Channing Tatum

England’s Red Roses have built a winning camp in the run-up to the Rugby World Cup, balancing hard training with a culture that prizes inclusivity and mental focus. The environment is intentionally informal in places—tattoos marking game locations, light-hearted forfeits at training, and even a nod to a Channing Tatum film during a team wind-down session—yet the aim is relentlessly serious: to keep everyone connected, relaxed and ready when it matters most.

Ellie Kildunne was late to a team meal once, the result of a bet made at training. Her forfeit was to straighten her naturally curly hair, a moment the squad treated as a small test of accountability rather than a punishment. The incident underscored a broader ethos the coaches and players have cultivated: stay true to commitments, and use everyday rituals to reinforce a collective identity. It is not simply about discipline for its own sake; it is about creating an atmosphere in which players at every level feel valued, trusted and able to focus on the present rather than looking too far ahead.

The camp’s culture sits alongside strategic preparation. Head coach John Mitchell has acknowledged that selection can strain even well-knit squads, noting that a couple of players in any group can over-define their self-worth around who is picked. Yet Mitchell has also praised the majority for their maturity in handling calls and inclusivity. Weekly team-bonding sessions have become fixtures, with diverse activities designed to build trust across the depth chart. For the week of the final, an Asian food night featured as a communal dinner; in the semi-final week, a relaxed slumber-party movie night—complete with pajamas and face masks—paired with a screening of an early Channing Tatum film helped keep nerves steady and the mood buoyant. A sense of balance between preparation and enjoyment appears central to the camp’s approach.

Away from the formal plan, players have developed personal routines that reinforce bonds and keep the mood light. Meg Jones and Hannah Botterman have used tattoos to mark the team’s journey, choosing designs tied to game locations. One design referenced Sunderland’s nickname, the Black Cats; another symbolized Northampton’s local heritage with a shoes motif; a third paid tribute to Brighton through an ice-cream theme. Jones has even floated the idea of a hot-air balloon to memorialize their semi-final venue in Bristol. There is talk of a London Underground tube logo as a future tattoo, and a cabbage motif tied to the historical site Twickenham was built on in 1907. These tattoos are not vanity items; they function as tangible reminders of the road traveled and the places yet to visit.

The squad’s creative routines extend beyond ink. Team members MacKenzie Carson, Maud Muir and Kelsey Clifford have compiled scrapbooks filled with memories and mementos, while Tatyana Heard and Lark Atkin Davies lead a small book club that travels with the group on rest days. In the recreational space, some players prefer traditional games—Muir and Jones have kept up a game of Rummikub—while Kildunne has introduced a Guitar Hero console to boost camaraderie during downtime. Pre-match rituals are equally practical; Emily Scarratt, now a veteran of her fifth World Cup, has taken on water duties for those selected, ensuring the team starts each game with a steady rhythm. Abi Burton, whose game time has been limited by fitness concerns, has invested in a drum that has grown into a fuller percussion section for the squad’s support.

Kildunne’s own contribution to the camp’s atmosphere has included more than music and rhythm. When she sat out a quarter-final with a concussion, she still joined in by picking up the drumsticks, underscoring how the group stays engaged even when not all players take the field. Botterman is widely responsible for curating the pre-match playlist, weaving together tempo and energy to match the mood of the squad. Intricate braids—done by a dedicated team of stylists nicknamed the Braid Maidens—have become a pre-game ritual, ensuring the players’ distinctive looks stay consistent on match day without wasting precious preparation time. A small but telling habit tied to leadership belongs to captain Zoe Aldcroft, who carries a knitted figurine of Jonny Wilkinson in her kit bag for luck, a personal talisman that has accompanied England through the World Cup journey.

The outside world has not bypassed the Red Roses entirely. Among the most notable visits was that of Catherine, Princess of Wales, who told the team she had been worried by a difficult first half against Australia in Brighton, a comment that highlighted the emotional scale of the World Cup campaign. Euros-winning Lioness Chloe Kelly stopped by to celebrate their progress shortly after a big win over Samoa, and the team has received support from sports figures and other public figures alike. Another member of this extended circle is Abby Dow, who is known for her crocheting prowess and has delivered bouquets of red roses to teammates as gifts from the squad. The mix of celebrity visits and homegrown rituals further emphasizes the camp’s attempt to simplify the stresses of high-stakes sport by binding players through shared experiences.

The players’ unity is evident on game days. Scarratt’s leadership extends beyond the field; she has helped coordinate staff and players in a way that keeps everyone in step. On non-playing days, the squad maintains a sense of structure through creative outlets and community-building activities, ensuring that even those with limited time in match-day plans remain integral to the group’s momentum. The leadership group—supported by Mitchell’s steady, pragmatic approach—emphasizes that the team’s strength lies not only in raw talent but also in how well they carry each other through preparation, pressure and expectation.

The Red Roses’ approach is not simply about making the World Cup run feel manageable; it is about building a sustainable culture that can carry England forward beyond a single tournament. The players’ willingness to blend serious preparation with personal rituals demonstrates a belief that a strong internal culture is as important as tactical polish. The mantra to “be where our feet are” has become a refrain that anchors players in the present moment, helping them avoid overthinking outcomes and instead focus on the next ball, the next drill, the next meal, and the next shared laugh. In a sport where selection can be a source of tension, the camp’s emphasis on inclusivity and collective identity appears to offer a counterbalance that could prove crucial in the pressure-filled stages of the World Cup and beyond.