Vickii Cornborough, an England forward, retired because she wasss “not ready” to juggle parenthood and rugby.
Cornborough played in two World Cup finals and earned 75 Red Roses caps, but her most notable achievement was creating the RFU’s maternity policy as RPA vice chair.
The 34-year-old is on maternity leave from England after having twins this summer.
It’s hard having twins, so even if I’m stronger than ever, I’m not mentally ready, Vickii Cornborough told BBC Sport. In high-performance pressure environments, sleeping a few hours each night is not optimal, the speaker added.
“It is the right decision for me to step away from the Red Roses and announce my retirement.”
“I’m proud to have played at two Rugby World Cups, won Six Nations titles, and played for my country 75 times,” she stated. Like a dream. Performance and the Red Roses jersey have been my priorities.
One of my biggest blessings is motherhood. Job difficulty is also present. I will always thank Harlequins and England for their help last year. It’s good that we’ve come so far in helping mother-rugby players.
“I’m committed to helping young players develop off the field wherever I can, and I’m excited to watch the next generation of Red Roses emerge.” I’ll assist remotely until then!
After representing England’s Under-19 and Under-20 sides, Vickii Cornborough debuted against Wales in 2015. He earned the Red Roses’ 198th cap.
She played for six Six Nations victories, five of which were grand slams, and was player of the match in two Red Roses games at Twickenham. She scored four tries in 63 England victories.
For Red Roses forwards coach Louis Deacon, “Winning 75 caps for your country is an incredible achievement.”
Red Roses Scrum has relied on Vickii for ten years. We expected her name to be first on the teamsheet owing to her consistency, professionalism, and competence.
Share this content:
One Comment