Women 1XV - The team

Biography: What the RFU say: One of the highlights of Hannah’s career was when she was called into the England side to replace one of her heroes, Maggie Alphonsi. Her Saracens team mate “has helped me with tips and encouraged me. Maggie and I are good friends.”

After a shock defeat to Ireland, the injured Alphonsi told the woman who stood in her boots to ‘play how you play’ and the reaction from Hannah was to do just that as she scored a try in the following game against France at Twickenham, Hannah’s favourite place to play, of course.

Harlow-born Hannah began playing the game when she was just seven, representing Bishop Stortford RFC and after five years there, she moved to the Welwyn Club. She went on to make ten appearances for England under-20s, touring America with the squad.

Hannah has a degree in Sport and Exercise Science from the University of Hertfordshire and now works as a fitness consultant at Fitness First. If you want to see just how good she is in a gym then you can head to youtube where she shows you how to do chin ups. I have to say I was rather impressed by this. Hannah, on the other hand, is impressed as so many are, by Jonny Wilkinson who is the player she most admires. She names Alex Austerberry from Saracens as one of her mentors, too.

Originally a centre, Hannah switched to the back row and she has since fulfilled her promise in that role, a role which should see her maintain her position in the international set up for some time as she is a player with the years on her side.