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Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
England winger Abby Dow relishing World Cup opener in Sunderland
Abby Dow is relishing the opportunity to return to her roots when the Women's Rugby World Cup kicks off in Sunderland. England open the tournament at the Stadium of Light on Friday night with a clash against the United States in Pool A. Part of Dow's family hail from Wearside and some will be in attendance for the game, including her 98-year-old grandfather, Gordon. 'My dad was born in Sunderland and my grandad lived there his whole life,' the England winger said. 'We did the long old trips from Berkshire up to Sunderland for our Easters and everything. 'What's really cool is my grandad, he's 98 and he's coming to the game. He's never been to the new Stadium of Light. He'll be there, so I'm very happy he's going to be there. 'He's been to one of my rugby games before, it's a bit hard for him to come, so my auntie's been really helpful organising it all. 'It'll be so nice to have a piece of family there, come back to Sunderland and experience it again. 'When I heard Sunderland I know everyone went 'no it's really cold up north!' but for me I'm so glad it's there because it feels like a little bit of home.' Dow's return to Sunderland is made all the more poignant with it being the birthplace of her father, who died in 2021. She said: 'I think with it being my dad's side and my dad can't be there, it's just nice that I can still have a part of him there. 'He was at every single one of my games growing up. He's still there in his family and that side of my family wanting to show support and be part of it. 'You can't be here in a situation without everyone who has come before you, the parents who have busted a gut to drive around the country. 'In the women's game when I was growing up we were driving far, a lot, and my dad did everything. 'I remember him buying every single book he could find on how to coach rugby, he ended up being my coach and he did everything for me. 'It's so nice that although he's not there, it's nice his dad's there, his sister's there and we're able to celebrate that together.' This will be Dow's second World Cup after she made her tournament bow at the delayed 2021 edition, where England lost to New Zealand in the final. However, she believes the Red Roses are now a 'much stronger' team having unpacked what happened three years ago. Dow said: 'I remember coming back (after the 2021 World Cup), watching clips of the games looking at what we'd done and there were some girls crying. 'One thing (John Mitchell) has done really well is unpack and reset who we are, working out who we are individually, what we want to be as a team and we've combined them together in the route we needed to take. 'I think we're a very different team to what we were then, we're much stronger, more dynamic and bold to do what we want to do.'


The Independent
7 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
England winger Abby Dow relishing World Cup opener in Sunderland
Abby Dow is relishing the opportunity to return to her roots when the Women's Rugby World Cup kicks off in Sunderland. England open the tournament at the Stadium of Light on Friday night with a clash against the United States in Pool A. Part of Dow's family hail from Wearside and some will be in attendance for the game, including her 98-year-old grandfather, Gordon. 'My dad was born in Sunderland and my grandad lived there his whole life,' the England winger said. 'We did the long old trips from Berkshire up to Sunderland for our Easters and everything. 'What's really cool is my grandad, he's 98 and he's coming to the game. He's never been to the new Stadium of Light. He'll be there, so I'm very happy he's going to be there. 'He's been to one of my rugby games before, it's a bit hard for him to come, so my auntie's been really helpful organising it all. 'It'll be so nice to have a piece of family there, come back to Sunderland and experience it again. 'When I heard Sunderland I know everyone went 'no it's really cold up north!' but for me I'm so glad it's there because it feels like a little bit of home.' Dow's return to Sunderland is made all the more poignant with it being the birthplace of her father, who died in 2021. She said: 'I think with it being my dad's side and my dad can't be there, it's just nice that I can still have a part of him there. 'He was at every single one of my games growing up. He's still there in his family and that side of my family wanting to show support and be part of it. 'You can't be here in a situation without everyone who has come before you, the parents who have busted a gut to drive around the country. 'In the women's game when I was growing up we were driving far, a lot, and my dad did everything. 'I remember him buying every single book he could find on how to coach rugby, he ended up being my coach and he did everything for me. 'It's so nice that although he's not there, it's nice his dad's there, his sister's there and we're able to celebrate that together.' This will be Dow's second World Cup after she made her tournament bow at the delayed 2021 edition, where England lost to New Zealand in the final. However, she believes the Red Roses are now a 'much stronger' team having unpacked what happened three years ago. Dow said: 'I remember coming back (after the 2021 World Cup), watching clips of the games looking at what we'd done and there were some girls crying. 'One thing (John Mitchell) has done really well is unpack and reset who we are, working out who we are individually, what we want to be as a team and we've combined them together in the route we needed to take. 'I think we're a very different team to what we were then, we're much stronger, more dynamic and bold to do what we want to do.'


BBC News
09-08-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Dow and England start assault on their 'Everest'
Women's Rugby World Cup warm-up: France v EnglandVenue: Stade Guy Boniface Date: Saturday, 9 August Kick-off: 20:10 BSTCoverage: Live on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website with accompanying live text commentary and radio updates England are out of training camp and into base on France this Saturday, the Red Roses are looking beyond, eyeing up their route to the pinnacle of the women's game."We talk about reaching Everest, reaching that final and every single step that it takes," wing Abby Dow told BBC Bradshaw has helped shape the imagery fuelling England's September 2013, she became the 36th British woman to climb the 8,848 vertical metres of actual England's two-month preparations, Bradshaw was invited to speak to the 32 Englishwomen who hope to ascend the Twickenham steps on 27 September and claim the Women's Rugby World Cup."Most people think you can conquer Everest by climbing it immediately, but one thing we learned from Jo is that your timing has to be right," explained head coach John are next, and a considerable foothill. Ranked fourth in the world and third-place finishers at the last World Cup, they were just one point away from England in their Six Nations meeting in scored two tries in that Grand Slam-clinching win. It was a game that, after leading by 24 points after 23 minutes, was closer than it should have been for England."What's important for us isn't 'why did they get close?' but 'why did we let them get close?'," said Dow."We took that first half really well, we took it strong and I think we put the handbrake back on."We wanted to get through the match. We weren't trying to beat them at that point. I think we can take real learnings from that."Dow knows the importance of pressing home an was also in the starting line-up in the last World Cup started strongly against New Zealand then but, via a Lydia Thompson red card, could not carry that momentum to was their only defeat in their past 57 had fought her way back from a leg break seven months before, only to suffer heartbreak at the last. The 27-year-old has been in the wars this time around as well, breaking a bone in her a less serious injury, earlier in the season, means she feels part of a group expedition, rather than a rehabbing soloist, as she works towards a different outcome."It's all fine and I'm very healthy right now," she said."This time around, I'm able to connect with the team much better and climb that mountain with everyone."Mitchell has told his players that the priority in Mont-de-Marsan is performance, rather than extending their current winning streak to a 27th England trounced Spain at home last weekend, Dow is expecting a bracing evening in south-west France, one that will steel a near full-strength side for challenges to come."I love the French crowd. They're here for the dramatics, they're here for the entertainment," she said."It's really important for us that we don't look to our left and right, and we look forward as a team."All these things that can be thrown at us are really important for us to grow and handle, because it means when things do get tougher, we'll be able to handle them as well."If they slip up in France, it doesn't mean they won't reach the summit in September. It might actually help them do so. Dow's own focus on the future goes as far as the World Cup and no has left Ealing Trailfinders and is without a club for next season. She is listed as 'unattached' on England's teamsheets."For me, rugby works in cycles and the cycle always finishes at a World Cup," she said."For four years - or in this case three years - that is the most important thing."[Signing a club contract] is a future problem for me - not even a problem, but a future opportunity."Right now, I care more about what we do here and what we do as a team."For Dow there is one aim and, beyond 27 September, no tomorrows.


Powys County Times
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Red Roses not getting ahead of themselves before World Cup, says Dow
The Red Roses may be in the form of their lives coming into a home tournament at this summer's Women's Rugby World Cup but Abby Dow insists her side are not getting ahead of themselves. The team have not lost a competitive fixture since defeat to New Zealand in the 2021 Women's Rugby World Cup final and enter this year's edition as the number one ranked side in the world, having strung together a 25-game winning streak that has yielded three consecutive Women's Six Nations titles and a double success in the WXV in the time since. Backed by what will be a vociferous home crowd, it's fair to say that the Red Roses will compete at this summer's World Cup as one of the favourites to capture the trophy for what would be a third time after 1994 and 2014 but Dow insists previous achievements will count for nothing when she and her teammates take to the field. 'A World Cup is a World Cup. Every game is dictated by that final whistle,' said Dow. 'We have to go into every game putting a target on the back of everyone we're lining up against. 'It doesn't matter how good you are in the 6Nations or WXV. The games people remember are at the World Cup and we as a team need to learn how to handle that pressure. 'It's going to make for an exciting brand of rugby and I'm excited for it, the team is excited for it. 'That's the joy of competitive sport.' Dow was speaking at the launch of a national RFU initiative inviting youngsters to get into rugby union and back the Red Roses by contributing to spectacular Red Rose yarn art city takeovers across the country, inspired by the Red Roses' love of crochet as a team bonding activity. Fans wishing to get involved and contribute to displays across their local communities, clubs and cities can download crochet patterns via the England Rugby website. The patterns available are a red rose, bunting and a rugby ball square. Supplied creations will then be stitched together by dedicated teams of volunteers including the Women's institute and Scouts ahead of a national unveiling of yarn art on Wednesday August 6th. Dow added: 'I'm really excited to be part of it. It's an opportunity to get diversity in hobbies and showing that anyone can support rugby and be part of the sport. 'It's a family event and an opportunity for people to pick up a hobby and combine it with sport to show off their personalities. 'Crochet has stereotypes but we deal with that in rugby as well in terms of who you have to be to be a rugby player and we're showing that it's not just a male space but a space where anyone can get involved. 'There are so many parts in life where that's true and crochet is a perfect example. Anyone can pick up a ball of yarn and a hook and start making whatever they want. 'It's the same in rugby, you can pick up a rugby ball and start playing and having fun the way you want.'


North Wales Live
13-06-2025
- Sport
- North Wales Live
Red Roses launch national yarn art campaign to inspire a generation ahead of Women's Rugby World Cup 2025
England Rugby stars Abby Dow and Tatyana Heard have today called upon the nation to show its support of the Red Roses as they aim for World Cup glory on home soil this summer. Dow and Heard are leading a creative initiative inviting youngsters to get into rugby union and back the England team by contributing to spectacular Red Rose yarn art takeovers across the country. A sea of knitted and crochet rugby themed artwork is expected to be displayed across community rugby clubs, host cities, and local communities, and Red Roses winger Dow is encouraging the nation to get involved with their local project. 'Whether you are a lifelong rugby fan, a dedicated crafter, or someone who just wants to play a part in something special, we are encouraging fans across England to get creative and show their support this summer,' Dow said. 'Crochet is a mindful hobby that we use as a squad to bond and create meaningful connections. We want fans new and old to connect with our sport through rugby crochet and knitting, while being part of an inspiring national movement. 'We are in a golden age of women's sport and we feel a responsibility to maximise this incredible opportunity to inspire the next generation of female players and fans across the summer.' Inspired by the Red Roses love of crochet as a team bonding activity, the yarn art takeovers form part of the RFU's engagement activities designed to inspire female players and deliver a lasting legacy for Women's Rugby World Cup 2025. Fans wishing to get involved and contribute to displays across their local communities, clubs and cities can download crochet patterns via the England Rugby website. The patterns available are a red rose, bunting and a rugby ball square. Full details of national display points and submission deadlines will be available via the RFU website HERE. Supplied creations will then be stitched together by dedicated teams of volunteers ahead of a national unveiling of Yarn Art in early August.