Abbie Ward

Abbie Ward
Date of birth (1993-03-27) 27 March 1993 (age 31)
Place of birthDumfries, Scotland
Height1.81 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Weight78 kg (172 lb; 12 st 4 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2014–2017 DMP Sharks ()
2017–2021 Harlequins Women 48 ()
2021–present Bristol Bears Women ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2011–2013 England U20s
2015–present England 61 (80)

Abbie Ward (née Scott, born 27 March 1993) 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.

International career

Ward progressed through the England rugby training groups as a teenager and was part of the Under 20s England women's rugby team that won the U20 Nations Cup in 2011.[1]

She made her debut for the England seniors team in 2015, playing against Italy.[1]

Ward is a world cup finalist after being named in the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup squad for England. She started in the final game versus New Zealand. In 2018, she played all England games at the 2018 Women's Six Nations Championship.[1]

The following year she was offered a full-time contract with the England team, and went on to help England win the 2019 Women's Six Nations Grand Slam.[2] That summer, she also played for England in the 2019 Super Series, captaining the side for its match versus the USA.[3]

A hip injury in 2019 meant that Ward was expected to miss the entirety of the 2020 Women's Six Nations. However, several games of the tournament were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and she was able to play in England's game against Italy in November 2020. The game enabled England to win the Grand Slam and Ward was named Player of the Match.[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]

Club career

Ward spent the summer of 2014 playing for the Strathcona Druids in Canada.[6] The same year, she joined the Darlington Mowden Park Sharks before moving to the Harlequins Women in 2017.[7][8]

In October 2020 she returned from a hip injury to score a hat-trick of tries in Harlequins' match against DMP Durham Sharks, helping the team win 103-0.[9] She and the team eventually on to win the league for the first time beating defending champions Saracens 25–17.

On 16 June 2021, it was announced that Ward would sign with Bristol Bears who had appointed husband Dave as head coach.[10]

Early life and education

Ward was born in Dumfries, Scotland, but grew up in Keswick, Cumbria. She first played rugby at age 10 and attended Keswick School and Sedbergh School before gaining a BA in History and Politics and an MSc in Sports Coaching at Northumbria University.[11][12]

She has three brothers: Fraser, James and David. James has also represented Great Britain as a downhill mountain biker.[13]

In August 2020, she married former Harlequins hooker Dave Ward.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c "RFU". www.englandrugby.com. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  2. ^ Max. "Abbie Ward (nee Scott)". Women's Rugby Data : ALL the stats. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  3. ^ "Keswick's Abbie Scott set to captain England women's team again when they play USA in San Diego". News and Star. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  4. ^ ""Surreal, emotional and fantastic" - Abbie Ward reflects on Grand Slam glory | Women's Sport Daily". www.womenssportdaily.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  5. ^ "Rugby World Cup: Sadia Kabeya and Morwenna Talling in England squad". BBC Sport.
  6. ^ "Abbie Scott". www.ultimaterugby.com. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  7. ^ Max. "Abbie Ward (nee Scott)". Women's Rugby Data : ALL the stats. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  8. ^ "World Cup Finalist Abbie Scott joins Harlequins Ladies". www.quins.co.uk. 7 September 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-10-07. Retrieved 2017-10-06.
  9. ^ "Abbie Ward's hat-trick of tries for Harlequins Women – The Keswick Reminder". Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  10. ^ "Abbie Ward to depart Harlequins Women". Archived from the original on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
  11. ^ "Cumbrian duo Abbie Scott and Cath O'Donnell handed professional deals with England women's rugby team for the 2019/20 season". News and Star. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  12. ^ "Abbie Scott". www.ultimaterugby.com. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  13. ^ Rowan, Kate (2019-01-04). "Exclusive Abbie Scott interview: 'I don't want to be average - that doesn't interest me'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  14. ^ "Abbie Ward: England Women's Red Roses still fighting old stigmas despite rugby success". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2021-05-06.