'Being involved in the Six Nations with England was huge'

SURREY-BORN STAR ON HER JOURNEY BACK FROM INJURY

- writes Paul Eddison.

LEATHERHEAD-BORN rugby player Claudia Moloney-MacDonald is the first to admit that she could not see a path back to an England spot in time for a home World Cup

It was in February 2024 that the Exeter Chiefs winger suffered a neck injury that left the former St John’s School student unable to move her arms and legs.

That was the second serious neck injury of her career and left her contemplating her rugby future, but fast-forward 12 months and she was back on the pitch and part of the England squad that claimed the Grand Slam.

Not only that, despite huge competition in the back three, Moloney-MacDonald performed well enough to earn a starting role in the Grand Slam decider at Allianz Stadium against France.

It is a comeback that has involved a huge amount of work, both physi cally, but also psychologically.

She said: “Any injury derails you - I’ve had a few of those in the past that have certainly made me question what would be possible from a rugby point of view in the future.

“You then live the process of coming back and it all becomes a lot more natural.