From grassroots to glory: How National Lottery funding has played a key role in women's rugby

The sorcerer and her apprentice have joined forces to cheer on the home nations at this month's Women's Rugby World Cup and celebrate the role National Lottery funding has played in developing women's rugby from grassroots to elite in the UK. Former Welsh women's rugby union player and now Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) Female Age Grade Lead, Liza Burgess, was previously a teacher in North London and spotted the untapped potential of then teenager Maggie Alphonsi, who went on to win the World Cup with England in 2014, and the rest as they say is history.

Ad Before announcing her international retirement in 2014, Alphonsi represented her country an impressive 74 times, scored 28 tries, won a World Cup, and helped England win a record-breaking seven consecutive Six Nations crowns. RugbyAlphonsi encouraging Red Roses to take inspiration from Lionesses ahead of World CupYESTERDAY AT 10:45 She grew up on a council estate in Lewisham in a single-parent family, meaning finances were tight and she was forced to work several jobs — that was until The National Lottery and Burgess' support changed her life.

Burgess encouraged Alphonsi to head to Saracens to chase her dream of being a rugby player, otherwise one of the iconic British players of a generation could have been lost to the sport. And with the Women's Rugby World Cup about to kick off in New Zealand this week — Alphonsi and Burgess have opted to celebrate the extraordinary impact the £30 million a week raised by National Lottery players for good causes has had on the development of women's rugby — from grassroots through to elite — over the years.