 Packer in 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 2 October 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Yeovil, Somerset, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 73 kg (161 lb; 11 st 7 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Marlene Marie Packer (born 2 October 1989) is an English rugby union player (back row / flanker) for Saracens and England women. She was part of the winning 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup squad. [1]
Packer began her international career playing for England in 2008. In 2013, she played for the England squad at the 2013 Women's Rugby World Cup Sevens in Moscow. She went on to play for the winning England 15s team during the 2014 World Cup, and again in the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup. [2]
In 2017 she also played for England in the Women's Six Nations tournament and was part of the winning Grand Slam team in the 2019 Women's Six Nations, playing in four of England's five games. She has won four Six Nations Grand Slam titles with England to date.
Packer started in all but one of England's 2019 Women's Rugby Super Series games and was awarded a full time contract to play in the England team in 2019. [3] In 2020, an ankle injury kept her from playing in the year's Six Nations championship. [4] She was named in the England squad for the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup held in New Zealand in October and November 2022. [5]
From 2007 to 2009, Packer played for Bath before moving to Bristol in 2009. In 2013 she was named Bristol Coaches Player of the Season. [6]
Packer signed for Wasps in 2013. After England's World Cup victory in 2014, Packer was made an Honorary member of her hometown club, Yeovil RFC, and given the freedom of Yeovil. [7]
She returned to play for Bristol in 2016 and moved to Saracens Women in 2017, where she continues to play. Packer was part of the team as they won the inaugural Tyrells Premier 15s competition in 2018. [8] In the same year she was also named the Saracens Coaches Player of the Season. [9]
Packer began playing rugby at five years old for the Ivel Barbarians in Yeovil. [10] She remained at the club for 13 years. [11]
She attended Birchfield Community Primary School, Buckler's Mead Academy and Yeovil College. [12] Outside of rugby, Packer is a qualified plumber. [13]
In September 2020, Packer's former partner Natasha gave birth to their son, Oliver. [14] In April 2023, when 3½ years old, Oliver accompanied Marlie as she ran out as England captain, to face France at Twickenham, in front of a world record crowd. [15]
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