How proving a boyfriend wrong started a rugby journey

England wing Ellie Underwood tells Geoff Berkeley how she wants to inspire others to start playing rugby too

Underwood was called up by England during the Six Nations (The RFU Collection via Getty)

What started as an opportunity to prove her boyfriend wrong turned out to be the beginning of Ellie Underwood’s rugby journey.

The Gloucester-Hartpury wing admitted she ‘did not have a clue’ about the sport when she headed to Drybrook RFC with her now fiancé Jim Rugman six years ago.

But when he laughed about the possibility of her joining the reformed women’s team Underwood saw that as a challenge – and she has not looked back since.