On the opening day of the Women’s Rugby World Cup, three young men are passing a mini rugby ball to each other on the University College Dublin campus. They are chatting about the trials and tribulations of post-graduate student life and Leinster’s prospects for the season ahead. Their accents are of the middle-class south Dublin variety, the sort that would traditionally indicate solid rugby knowledge.

Despite the fact that their ball bears the Women’s Rugby World Cup logo they are oblivious of a rugby legend nearby.

As their conversation turns from the academic to “will Garry Ringrose ever be as good as Brian O’Driscoll?”, the 2014 World Cup winner Rochelle ‘Rocky’ Clark saunters past on her way back to the team bus after England’s opening game against Spain.

The students do not bat an eyelid at England’s most capped player, female or male. The 36-year-old passed Jason Leonard’s 114-cap mark last November.

The Queen, though, did recognise Clark: the prop was appointed MBE for services to rugby in the 2015 New Year’s Honours List.