The 28-year-old wing was part of the England side which recently won the World Cup, defeating Canada in the final, and she hopes the Red Roses’ victory can be as influential as the impact the Lionesses have had on women’s football.

She told Rugby World magazine: “I’d love to see stability in the game.

“We’ve got the ball rolling and I don’t want it to stop.

“What is so important is the influence we’ll have towards grass roots.

“Rugby has the ability and the influence to change anyone’s life.

“It is quite stereotyped, especially with boys, that it can be a middle-class sport but it’s not. It really isn’t.

“I want to see rugby move up to the North, I want to see it flourish across the country, because look at what football has done in the women’s game.

“It’s got so many girls questioning why they aren’t doing it and why the boys are getting their knees muddy.

“What we are trying to prove is that it’s not just a one-off. It’s women’s sport and it’s here to stay.”

England won the World Cup at Twickenham and Abby admitted the support of the 82,000 crowd was overwhelming.

She said: “Normally the crowd is at eye level but suddenly you look up and the whole of Twickenham Stadium just has people coming down the spiral staircases.

“I was struggling to breathe at one point because I couldn’t believe what was happening to us.”