timeAbbie Ward, who has played in two Rugby World Cup finals, won multiple Six Nations titles and was one of the first Red Rose players to be offered a professional contract, said she had to wait until she gave birth to daughter Halle. (Hallie) will return to the court to play for her country and it will be one of her greatest achievements after coming back from “the hardest road”.
Ward, who turns 31 on Wednesday, gave birth to her child in July last year and returned to play for Bristol in November. She scored in her first game back, a 48-5 win over Sale in the Women’s Premiership Rugby League. She said after the game that her next goal was to return to the England squad, a goal that was achieved when new head coach John Mitchell appointed a training camp in January. She was subsequently named in the team’s 2024 Women’s Six Nations squad and was selected to start England’s first game against Italy on Sunday.
“I’ve made 61 caps for my country but putting on an England shirt will be one of my greatest rugby achievements,” Ward said. “Yes, I’ve been to World Cup finals, captained, won Grand Slams, but I think it’s the toughest road to put on an England shirt. It makes you appreciate it even more.
“After getting injured and playing for the team for the first time, you are grateful. But you have to start from scratch and work hard. [my] Rugby is unbelievable right now in a very, very tough team – I definitely don’t take that for granted. “
Ward last played for England in the 2022 Rugby World Cup final, when the team lost 34-31 to New Zealand. She said it had been a long time waiting to “correct some wrongs” from the results, but said her daughter had done a good job of distracting her. “I think having Harley and that time away gives you a new perspective,” Ward said.
Halle has been at the England training camp as Ward and the squad prepare for the Six Nations. Ward has been able to introduce her daughter to teammates, and she has become the center of attention. “She absolutely loved it,” Ward said of Halle. Ward said the England camp was also a good experience for her daughter. “I’m honored to be able to bring Halle into an environment filled with so many strong women. The potential for her to grow in that environment and around these girls is huge. They are incredible role models as well. I’m very excited Lucky to share this experience with Halle.”
Ward is the first England contract player to give birth during her career and she is keen to share the experience publicly to raise awareness among current and future players. As part of this, she is teaming up with ITV to launch a documentary called Abby Ward: A Bump in the Road, which will air next week and showcase her return to competition.
“I’ve always thought it was important to express that journey vocally,” Ward said. “I don’t think there’s that awareness in certain movements or absolutely [not] The world of men’s sports believes this is happening, with players unable to start families and play professional sports at the same time. Many people are retired.
“I wanted to put it in the spotlight, ask the hard questions and answer questions for other players. I guess I didn’t really know what it was going to be like at the time because no other player in England had gone through it. I wanted to make sure The next girl who decides to start a family understands what it’s like for them. One thing I also want to express is that I’m very ambitious about coming back, but I don’t want to put pressure on anyone, not everyone has to do that. I think the best thing is [Rugby Football Union maternity] Policies are determined by individuals. “
Ward is now focused on the Six Nations and re-entering the England camp, having seen improvements in the program since the last game. “There’s a lot of new hires, more staff,” Ward said. “The whole program has taken a significant leap forward in terms of how it operates. The players, the roster, the depth and the talent, it’s really exciting.”
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England are favorites and if they lift the trophy it will be their sixth consecutive title, while France will once again be the main rivals for the title.
Other countries will look first for improvements in performance and results. Wales have been closing the gap on France and England over the past few years, but after losing 39-14 to France and 59-3 to England in the 2023 Six Nations, they will be looking to reflect that on the scoreboard at this point. Meanwhile, Scotland, who last year secured their first back-to-back wins in the competition in 17 years, are aiming to improve further.
quick guide
England vs Italy
exhibit
Ellie Kildoon (Harlequins), Abby Dow (Trailfinders), Helena Rowland (Loughborough), Emily Scarratt (Loughborough), Jess Breach (Saracens) , Zoe Harrison (Saracens), Lucy Parker (Harlequins), Hannah Botterman (Bristow), Lark Atkin-Davies (Bristow) Thor), Kelsey Clifford (Saracens), Zoe Aldercroft (Gloucester-Hartpury), Abby Ward (Bristol), Sa Dia Cabea (Loughborough), Mary Parker (Saracens), Sarah Beckett (Gloucester-Hartpury).
alternatives: Connie Powell (Harlequin), Mackenzie Carson (Gloucester-Hartpury), Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury), Maddie Fionati (Eck Seth), Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury), Natasha Hunter (Gloucester-Hartpury), Holly Aitchison (Bristol Er), Megan Jones (Leicester City).
Italy retreated slightly, ranking fifth for the second year in a row. The team will be looking to avoid the bottom two spots and add more wins to their record. Finally, new Ireland head coach Scott Baymand said their goal is to finish in the top three. The team takes the wooden spoon in 2023, with Bemand’s ambitions requiring an incredible boost in results.
France open the tournament against Ireland on Saturday before Wales take on Scotland and defending champions England travel to Italy. Ward joins other returning players such as Zoe Harrison and Emily Scarlatt in the opener, with captain Mary Parker set to win her 100th international cap. Camps are blocking popular tags: “It’s about letting us focus on ourselves, our process and our game plan and control the things we can control,” Ward said.
