Abi Burton's Incredible Rugby Journey Leads to Historic RPA Appointment
Two-time Olympian Abi Burton has been appointed as the first chair of the Rugby Players' Association's newly formed women's board, marking a significant milestone for female rugby representation in England. The Trailfinders and England back row, who won't turn 26 until March, brings a wealth of experience to the role after overcoming extraordinary challenges including a 25-day coma and multiple redundancies to become a World Cup champion.
From Adversity to Achievement
Burton describes herself as a "doer" who likes to "get things done," a quality evident throughout her remarkable career. Since making her senior debut at just 17, she has battled auto-immune encephalitis that left her in a coma for nearly a month, requiring her to relearn basic functions like walking and talking. She has also experienced redundancy twice, first with Wasps and later with England Sevens, before triumphantly returning to win the Rugby World Cup with England in September.
"I feel like I've been through everything," Burton explained on the day she chaired her first board meeting. "I've been made redundant twice, come back from illness. I wouldn't wish those experiences on anybody. But they've happened to me, and all I can do now is give that knowledge on to be able to help shape things going forward."
A Representative Voice for Women's Rugby
The newly established women's board represents a landmark development for female rugby players in England, with Burton leading a nine-strong group containing representatives from each Professional Women's Rugby club. This initiative follows years of work by the RPA to expand membership throughout PWR, with 260 players from the league now signed up.
Burton's extensive experience across different aspects of women's rugby makes her particularly well-suited for the role. "I've been part of PWR since I was 17, so I've been there when I was playing at college, as part of the sevens programme, just playing 15s – I've done every part of it," she noted. "I thought I had a good knowledge level to share with people, and represented a lot of different groups and have had lots of different journeys in rugby as well."
Building Infrastructure for Change
The board's formation comes at what Burton describes as a "transformative" time for women's rugby. Key priorities include ensuring minimum standards are not just met but exceeded across the league, improving player welfare management, and addressing the semi-professional status that affects most players in the league.
"I truly believe that now, with this year being so transformative, the infrastructure is there for change," Burton stated. "It will take a little bit more support and a little bit more awareness to be able to push players beyond the cusp of being semi-professional, having a job around playing, and to the next level."
She emphasized the importance of not leaving behind keen players within PWR clubs while pushing the sport forward, noting that increasing professionalism would create a "positive cycle for everybody" by raising playing standards across the board.
Complementary Leadership and Future Goals
The board features diverse representation from current England squad members to internationals from other nations. Jenny Hesketh of Bristol Bears and Wales serves as vice-chair, providing complementary skills to Burton's leadership. Their collaboration comes as the RPA continues to develop its relationship with women's rugby following the Red Roses' decision to partner with Team England Rugby for contract and commercial management, similar to England's elite men's players.
Christian Day, the RPA's general secretary, was elected on a manifesto that included giving every elite women's player membership options comparable to their male counterparts in the Premiership. Former England centre Rachael Burford has also played a significant role as the organisation's Head of Women's Rugby in reaching this milestone.
Burton sees her varied experiences as crucial to her new role. "I feel like I've experienced the best of it but also experienced what it can be like when it's not," she reflected. "So I feel like I have a broader range of vision to be able to help people and have those challenging conversations as well."
Looking ahead, Burton is determined to maintain momentum in women's rugby development. "It's taken us a long time to get to this point in the women's game, but now we are at a point where change has happened, we need to keep the momentum moving forward," she asserted. "We need to have a strong group of women, which I believe we've got, to keep pushing forward."
