By Alex Hoad

Kent rugby star Rachael Burford says she has mixed emotions after playing in England’s Women’s Rugby World Cup final defeat to New Zealand on Sunday.

The 24-year-old centre, who came through the junior section at Medway Rugby Club before departing for Premiership rugby aged 17, started the 13-10 defeat, which represented the third tournament in a row that England had lost the final against the Black Ferns and the second the Richmond star has been involved in.

Burford, pictured, said: "The whole experience was amazing. The coverage and the support was fantastic for the sport.

"We didn’t get the result we wanted and were all devastated but we have done a great deal for our sport and for women in sport in general. We broke down some stereotypes."

She added: "Our goal was always to win the tournament but we also wanted to raise the profile of the sport and get recognition."

Burford, an RFU community rugby coach for Kent, revealed she and team-mates Catherine Spencer, who started with Folkestone, and Amy Garnett, who hails from Canterbury, enjoyed some local banter during the tournament.

She said: "At the semi-final against Australia, there were lots of Medway shirts in the crowd and I pointed them out to Catherine and said ‘I bet those bring back memories from when we used to play against each other.'"