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Zoe Stratford took two weeks to bask in England’s Women’s Rugby World Cup glory.<\/b><\/p>\n
Then it was back to the grind.<\/p>\n
Shortly after lifting the world title in front of nearly 82,000 people at Twickenham, the England captain and her club and country team-mate Natasha Hunt were picking up something else – the keys to a new business venture.<\/p>\n
While each of the Red Roses earned a World Cup-winning bonus of \u00a320,000 and the most lucrative of their central contracts are worth just short of \u00a350,000, all of England’s squad have to make plans for life after rugby.<\/p>\n
Wing Abby Dow, 28, retired after the tournament to pursue a career in mechanical engineering. Hooker May Campbell combines her rugby with working at a crypto payment company. Amy Cokayne is a police officer in the Royal Air Force.<\/p>\n
Lock Stratford and scrum-half Hunt have chosen a different route, opening a coffee shop together.<\/p>\n
The pair have premises close to Kingsholm, where they run out for PWR side Gloucester-Hartpury.<\/p>\n
“It’s been incredibly fun renovating it, putting our ideas into it,” said Stratford.<\/p>\n
“With rugby we had so much intensity coming into the World Cup. Afterwards we were a bit exhausted with it, so this gave us a new lease of life.<\/p>\n
“We didn’t just have rugby, we could put our energy into this coffee shop and making it ours.”<\/p>\n
Their shop is called ‘MoZo’ – an amalgamation of Stratford’s first name and Hunt’s nickname ‘Mo’.<\/p>\n
Stratford says that the venture has given her a valuable distraction from sport, allowing her to switch off when she is away from the pitch.<\/p>\n
“It is super important to have these other interests,” she added.<\/p>\n
“I think the reason so many of the girls are successful is because they have interests besides rugby. The coffee shop give us that release.”<\/p>\n
Both Stratford and Hunt have been getting stuck in on the shop floor working shifts, including on the day of Gloucester men’s match against Castres in early December.<\/p>\n
“I am terrible at coffee art,” Stratford said when asked about the skill of making patterns and pictures in the frothy top of drinks.<\/p>\n
“I stick to the till. Mo is very good though. Sometimes I mess the stock up and she is pulling her hair out with me, but it is cool. <\/p>\n
“It is something we have wanted to do and hopefully we will grow it.”<\/p>\n
Three-time defending champions Gloucester-Hartpury have won all seven of their PWR games this season, while both Stratford and Hunt were named in a 47-strong England training camp this month.<\/p>\n
England begin the defence of their Women’s Six Nations title against Ireland at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham on 11 April.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n