England rugby star Helena Rowland knew last year’s World Cup final may have been her final farewell to the sport aged just 25.
England rugby star Helena Rowland knew last year’s World Cup final may have been her final farewell to the sport aged just 25.
A troublesome foot injury had already required two surgeries, with a third trip to the operating table scheduled for 10 days after the final at Allianz Stadium.
Dealing with what is known as a Lisfranc injury, Rowland knew only too well that if the third surgery did not resolve the issue, which had been lingering since the previous World Cup back in 2022, she would be out of options.
So, while the talented playmaker and former sevens star was still able to play her part in helping the Red Roses to glory in front of a packed-out Allianz Stadium, part of her knew she might not be back.
She explained: “I was kind of aware that whatever was coming next was last-chance saloon. There was a chance that it doesn’t work and you are not in any less pain than you were before. It had probably been something at the back of my mind that I knew.
“Last summer, prior to coming into the World Cup prep, knowing the surgery was going to be a bit closer, people started asking about it. It really dawned on me that we’ll get that done, it will be five or six months out and if it works, great and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t and that is the reality of it.
“It was interesting to say it out loud for the first time, it probably hadn’t dawned on me just what that meant. It was a bit of a flippant comment and then you dive into it and then it’s a real possibility that in less than a year’s time, I might not actually be playing.”
It is a mark of how good Rowland is that even while limited by the foot injury, for which she underwent surgery in late 2022 and again in the summer of 2023, she was still described by John Mitchell as England’s most valuable player.
Her ability to play any position from fly-half to full-back made her an ideal bench option, even if like every player, she would prefer to start.
She did so in the quarter-final against Scotland, wearing the No.15 jersey in the absence of Ellie Kildunne before returning to the bench for the semi-final and final.
As much as she loved being part of such an historic team, with a world-record crowd watching the Red Roses lift the trophy for the first time in 11 years, she also knew she could be doing more.
She said: “I still got to be part of the squad and part of the teams playing at the weekend and it was still an unbelievable experience, but I think there was always a part of me that didn’t think I was contributing what I was capable of, which was quite frustrating. Outwardly, you wouldn’t necessarily see that, but inwardly, it was what I was feeling.
“It’s a good thing to now have it done and hopefully kick on and playing the way I want to be playing.
“You never really know until you are back in training and back playing how it’s going to react. There are a couple of areas that are still work-ons, but they are things that come back really slowly, my reactivity. But I’ve got to a point where they are happy for me to play, but not happy to just ignore it and crack on.
“It does so far feel a lot better, which is nice. Now I’m playing games and not thinking about it, which is a bit weird, I’ve not done that for quite a while. Hopefully the more I play and the more I train, the better it will become and the more confident I’ll feel.”
Rowland underwent surgery 10 days after the final and made her return to action for Loughborough Lightning in Premiership Women’s Rugby at the start of March.
She has earned an immediate recall for England and will look to be part of the squad to take on Ireland back at Allianz Stadium, where 70,000 tickets have already been sold for the Guinness Women’s Six Nations opener.
After the uncertainty of last year, little wonder she is excited to be back.
That said, Rowland has taken her taste of rugby mortality seriously, working on a master’s in physiology at the same time as she was rehabbing her foot.
She explained: “It was a tough thing to get my head around, but I had always known I wanted to do a master’s.
“I knew I would have an extended break and then whatever happens on the back of that, I’ve still got something I’m doing, working towards a career afterwards. It felt like a good time to do that and dive into what careers there are in the world of physiology.”
With one year done, Rowland will turn her attentions to her dissertation next. Before that though, she is back to being one of the best rugby players on the planet and back with the Red Roses once more, but this time, injury-free.
70k tickets sold for the return of the Red Roses at Allianz Stadium. Buy tickets now for your chance to be there and be part of history as the Red Roses take on Ireland.