2 DAISY HIBBERT-JONES

Age 21(21 Aug 2002) Born Wirral Position No 8 Club Loughborough Country England

When did you first play rugby? I was seven at Port Sunlight rugby club. It was in the middle of our local woods; we started with an obstacle course, then did some rugby and finished with a can of coke and pizza in the clubhouse.

What positions have you played? At 12, I played scrum-half for Cheshire. I was set on playing No 9 for England – I even made a poster at school! Then we went on tour to Bishop Auckland and camped on the pitch. Our coach Brendan O’Malley said, “I’m going to move you to No 8” and I cried. I didn’t want to be a forward! But I loved the involvement I had.

Did you play other sports? I played as a hockey goalkeeper. In a tournament we played, all three goalies were rugby players! Nobody else would go in.

When did rep rugby start? County girls rugby only started at U15s, so you had to be 13. But I was the last year they allowed dispensation, so at only 12 I got in. I was buzzing but very scrawny!

Any childhood heroes? Sarah Hunter was a massive idol and someone I looked up to. I wanted to play the way she did. Waterloo used to do a match programme and one of my first games at No 8 was against Loughborough; it was a crazy moment to look down the list and see our names next to each other.

Sum up your playing style… I’m good in attack, so I find myself on the edges and think I can identify the space well. I’m not the biggest No 8, so I have to use my speed, agility and handling to find some gain-line success.

How did your England debut come about? I went to New Zealand for WXV1 as a late injury replacement for Sadia Kabeya. In the first game v Australia, I won my first cap off the bench, which was insane. Fortunately my mum and dad made it for that and the cap presentation. I did my first-cap song on the bus: BeforeHeCheats by Carrie Underwood.