Helena Rowland played last year’s Rugby World Cup knowing it could be the last of her career, despite being just 25. The England star was dealing with a persistent Lisfranc foot injury that had already required two surgeries, with a third scheduled for 10 days after the final at Allianz Stadium.
The playmaker admitted the possibility that the third operation might not work weighed on her mind. “I was kind of aware that whatever was coming next was last-chance saloon,” she said. “There was a chance that it doesn’t work and you are not in any less pain than you were before.”
Despite the injury, Rowland remained a key part of England’s World Cup-winning squad. Head coach John Mitchell described her as the team’s most valuable player, while her versatility from fly-half to full-back made her an ideal bench option. She started the quarter-final against Scotland at full-back before returning to the bench for the semi-final and final.
Rowland underwent surgery shortly after the final and made her return for Loughborough Lightning in March. She has since been recalled to the England squad for the Women’s Six Nations opener against Ireland at Allianz Stadium, where 70,000 tickets have been sold. “It does so far feel a lot better,” she said, adding that she is now playing without thinking about the injury.
During her rehabilitation, Rowland also pursued a master’s degree in physiology to prepare for life after rugby. “I knew I would have an extended break and then whatever happens, I’ve still got something I’m doing,” she explained.
