Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp was left to reflect on her tenure after a tough quarter-final defeat to Canada in Bristol.
Yapp finishes as the most capped coach in Wallaroos history after taking over at the start of 2024.
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This includes the team’s first title in 2024, taking out WXV 2, while issuing a new generation of talent that has become staples.
It’s these connections and bonds that Yapp will miss as she was holding back tears talking about what the group meant as she stays in England with her family.
“The playing group themselves and the group that I work with, I absolutely love it. If I could continue coaching them but still be in a position to be home with the family over here, then I would,” she told Rugbycomau and RugbyPass.
“They're a very special bunch of people and I'm going to miss them a lot.”
Yapp admits the group knew they were facing an uphill battle at the World Cup, drawn to face the top two sides in England and Canada, which would ultimately lead to their departure.
"When we first saw the draw come out for the World Cup, we knew we were up against it,” she admits.
“Getting to the quarters itself was, if we’re super realistic, was going to be an achievement to get out of that group and we did that but what it meant was we played number one and number two back-to-back, which is always going to take it out of this group of players, which I think it did.
“The experience that we've come across in the last two weeks just was a real... It's just been like a challenge for what is a young group and we did problem-solve a bit today, and we came back at it.”
Authenticity has been a major cornerstone of the Wallaroos group, never shying away from their big energy entries and even bigger personalities.
It’s something Yapp saw as ‘alien’ at start but believes needs to be the big thing the next coach embraces if the team is to go to the next level, along with an expanded club competition.
“It’s about taking the opportunity to make sure that we're seeing from their perspective as well and for me, which was really alien at the start, the way they come into the change rooms, like someone described earlier, like they were turning up at a hen party, like they're dancing and singing, but I've learned that this is how this group brings themselves and prepares themselves for games,” the English great said.
“If I try and stifle that in a group, that's not who they are, and that then just makes them nervous so as a group, it's not one size fits all. If what they need is to dance and to sing and to bring energy to prepare, then that's what that group brings and as a coach, that's not on us to tell them that that's not the way it should be done.
“I know that in WXV [2] when we went out for pretty much what was a final against Scotland, that's exactly how they entered the dressing room and people were just like, ‘Wow, what's going on?’
"I think you just have to sometimes adapt your coaching and to know what's best for them and possibly feed it back.”
Yapp heads to the coaching market as one of the most sought-after candidates following the World Cup.
The former Red Roses scrumhalf has been pushed to take over England should current head coach John Mitchell step down while there is a Women's British & Irish Lions team being put together for a 2027 tour of New Zealand.
However, any chat about that or returning to the PWR (Premiership Women's Rugby) was being put on the back burner for the time being.
"I probably just haven't allowed myself to even think past this role. I just genuinely haven't looked outside of what I've been doing here," she concluded.
"I haven't considered anything at all. Obviously, it's always lovely to have your name considered for international jobs, of course it is, but it's just not something I've given up any real hope on, honestly.
"...I genuinely probably just need a bit of time to reflect. I haven't had that time at all, obviously, I've been wholeheartedly in this, and I haven't been home to the farm for some time."
