Prison officer turned one-half of the world’s first professional female rugby twins, England’s Poppy Cleall talks inequality, investment and making the world take women’s rugby seriously
“We want to play for England,” announces an eight-year-old Poppy Cleall on a video shared on her twin sister’s
Instagram page last month.
England players Poppy and Bryony Cleall have been playing rugby together since the age of six, but England’s 52-10 win over
Scotland in the Women’s Six Nations opener – with tries scored by both sisters – was the first time the twins have played together for their country.
There are a number of twins who play professional rugby – England’s Tom and Ben Curry, or Jordan and Ryan Olowofela, or the South African Kriel twins – but the Clealls are the only female twins in the world who both play full-time professional rugby. Poppy has 45 caps for England, Bryony has three, and they both play in the Premier 15s at Saracens.