Botterman aims to be the best pillar at the 2025 Rugby World Cup

Hannah Botterman Aims for the Top at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup

English star Hannah Botterman has set an ambitious personal goal: to establish herself as the best loosehead prop in the world by the end of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup. Botterman shone in England’s initial victory against the United States, with a score of 69-7 in Sunderland. This was the start of a campaign in which the “Red Roses” are presented as the clear favorites to win the tournament. Botterman scored the second of England’s eleven tries and, although she was satisfied with the team’s effort, she also has individual goals. “I have worked very hard during the preseason to be in good shape. I don’t want to hide the fact that I want to be the best loosehead prop in the world. I want to establish that in this tournament. For me, it was a good start, but I feel that I can still give much more.” Botterman joked: “Obviously, commentators love Ellie Kildunne, so… She does all the good stuff, so yeah.” England faced a United States team that included Hope Rogers, considered one of the best loosehead props in the world. “Obviously, Hope is a very good player, she plays very well week after week in the Premier. But I don’t want there to be any question [as to whether Botterman is the best prop in the world], to be honest.”

Hannah Botterman scored a try in England’s resounding 69-7 victory over the United States. “I think I’m in the conversation and now I just want to keep going and keep improving. Everyone can improve everywhere, but for a long time, my scrum wasn’t the best. I’ve really worked on that and I think it’s an area of strength now.” “Regarding the attack, I’m happy; defensively I think I can be a little stronger and use my weight more. I feel physically in a very good place, now it’s about delivering the performances. I’ve put myself in a physically capable situation. It just depends on whether I can produce what I want to produce. The desire has always been there, but I feel like I can do a little more now and I hope that has been shown on the field.” “But ultimately, I want the team to do the best they can, and if I perform well within that, with your Ellie Kildunnes doing well, your Sadia Kabeyas, your Meg Jones, if everyone performs, then we put ourselves in a very good place. It’s been first class.” Botterman also paid tribute to the work that scrum coach, Nathan Catt, has done in the camp.

Catty has been great. She has brought us a lot of experience. She works very well with the complexities of the first lines and what we want to do. She has been fundamental for us, and having someone who specifically takes care of that area has been beneficial for us.

Hannah Botterman

In general, Botterman was satisfied with England’s performance in the first round and was happy to play in front of a record crowd in Sunderland. “We are very lucky to be in the position we are in now. Seeing all the people who came before us and who really worked to put us in this position, we obviously benefit from that now, but if it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t be here. Now we just have to enjoy it.”