England wing Abby Dow suffers broken leg in victory over Wales

England wing Abby Dow is in a race against time to recover for the World Cup after breaking her leg in the 58-5 win over Wales in the Women’s Six Nations on Saturday.

The tournament begins in New Zealand on October 8, with England one of the favourites.

The RFU confirmed Dow was ‘comfortable in hospital’ and will have surgery. Centre Emily Scarratt suffered a broken leg in September and was playing five months later.

‘Everyone at England Rugby wishes Abby a full and speedy recovery,’ the RFU added.

Meanwhile, World Rugby will give every professional player the chance to have their say on the future direction of the game by launching its ‘biggest consultation ever’ on the sport’s welfare with a series of surveys at the end of this month.

Rugby’s concussion protocols were severely criticised during the Six Nations and player welfare remains one of the game’s biggest issues.

Coaches, referees and scientific and medical experts will also be consulted in the surveys.

World Rugby’s chief executive officer Alan Gilpin said: ‘Rugby must evolve if the game is going to be attractive, relevant and credible for the next generation.’