 Essex in 2011 against the Black Ferns | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 16 November 1982 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 176 cm (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 75 kg (165 lb; 11 st 11 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rebecca Anne Essex (born 16 November 1982) is an English female rugby union player and headteacher. She competed for England at the 2010 Rugby World Cup and was part of the Champion, 2014 side.
In 2007, she captained the England A side in their second outing of the European Championships in Madrid, Spain. [1] In 2009, the Black Ferns toured England in a two-test series, she featured in the match that saw her side defeat the World Champions 10–3. [2]
Essex was a member of the England side that were Six Nations champions and Grand Slam winners ahead of the World Cup. [3] She represented England at the 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup. [4] In 2011, She was also in the English side that won their sixth Six Nations title and crowned Grand Slam winners again. [5]
Essex earned her 50th cap in the 2014 Women's Six Nations match against Ireland. [6] She was subsequently named in the squad that won the 2014 Rugby World Cup. [7] Later that year, she announced her retirement from the English team but would still play for Richmond. [7] She works as the head of an ASD center at Strand on the Green school in Chiswick. [8]
In 2015, she became an RFU Disciplinary Panel member. [9] She returned to the pitch in November 2017 when she was invited to play for the inaugural Women's Barbarians team against Munster, her side won 19–0. [9] [10]
The Ireland women's national rugby union team represents Ireland in international women's rugby union competitions such as the Women's Six Nations Championship and the Women's Rugby World Cup. They have also represented Ireland in the FIRA Women's European Championship. Ireland won the 2013 and 2015 Women's Six Nations Championships. In 2013 they also achieved both a Triple Crown and Grand Slam. They finished fourth in the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup after defeating New Zealand in the pool stages. Ireland hosted the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup. The team was originally organised by the Irish Women's Rugby Football Union. However, since 2009, it has been organised by the Irish Rugby Football Union.
Joseph William George Marler is an English former rugby union player who played as a prop for Premiership Rugby club Harlequins. He played for the England national team until his retirement in November 2024.
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Niamh Briggs is a former Ireland women's rugby union international. She represented Ireland at the 2010 and 2014 Women's Rugby World Cups. She was also a member of the Ireland teams that won the 2013 and 2015 Women's Six Nations Championships. Briggs was a member of the first Ireland teams to defeat France, England and New Zealand. She was captain of the Ireland team when they won the 2015 Six Nations title and was the top points scorer during both the 2013 and 2015 Six Nations championships. Briggs is also an Ireland women's rugby sevens international and has also played senior ladies' Gaelic football for Waterford. Briggs is a Garda Síochána officer based in Limerick.
Margaret Omotayo Sanni Alphonsi is an English former rugby union player who played as a flanker for Saracens W.R.F.C. and England before retiring in 2014. She was Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year in 2010, and was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in November 2016 during the opening ceremonies for the Hall's first physical location in Rugby, Warwickshire.
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Fiona Hayes is an Irish former rugby union player. She was a member of the Ireland teams that won the 2013 and 2015 Women's Six Nations Championships, and that defeated New Zealand at the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup. Hayes has also played association football at intervarsity and intermediate level.
Sophie Spence is a former Ireland women's rugby union international. Spence represented Ireland at the 2014 and 2017 Women's Rugby World Cups. Spence was a member of the first Ireland teams to defeat England and New Zealand. She was also a member of the Ireland teams that won the 2013 and 2015 Women's Six Nations Championships. Spence is a British Nigerian who qualified to represent Ireland through her mother, who was originally from Lisburn, County Antrim.
The 2016 end-of-year rugby union internationals, also known as the 2016 Autumn Internationals in the Northern Hemisphere, were a series of international rugby union matches predominantly played between the visiting Southern Hemisphere countries: Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa – and the European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.
Leanne Nicole Infante is an English former rugby union player. She made her debut for England in 2013 and was a finalist in the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup. At club level, she ended her career playing for Saracens.
Abbie Ward is an English rugby union player. She plays at international level for England, having made her debut for the side in 2015. She currently plays for Bristol Bears Women at club level.
Victoria Moreen Cornborough is an English rugby union player. She debuted for England in 2015. She was named in the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup squad for England. She was awarded a full-time contract with England in 2019 and plays for Harlequins Women at club level.
Poppy Georgia Cleall is an English rugby union player. She also plays for Saracens Women at club level. She is the 2021 Six Nations Player of the Year, England Player of the year and the leading all time Premiership try scorer. She was nominated for World Player of the Year in 2021. She has won 5 Grand Slams and 4 Premiership Titles with Saracens.
Lark Bronwen Atkin-Davies is an English rugby union player. She is a Six Nations Grand Slam champion as part of the England women's national rugby team, and plays for Bristol Bears at club level.
