As a full-time professional rugby player with over 40 caps to her name, Abbie is the embodiment of the modern female rugby player, having shone at both age-group and senior levels.
Dumfries-born Abbie Ward was introduced to touch-rugby aged 10, before progressing to the full contact version of the game by 16. Her first taste of international success with England was as a member of the squad that won the U20 Nations Cup in 2011.
She started the first four matches in the 2016 Six Nations Championship, before picking up an injury which kept her out for 15 months, but she returned to international rugby with tries in consecutive matches against Australia in the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup. Abbie has gone on to win 46 Red Roses caps and has now Captained and Vice-Captained her country on a number of occasions.
In 2020, Abbie helped Harlequins Women secure their maiden Allianz Premier 15s title and enjoyed a stellar campaign which saw her named in the 2020/21 Team of the Season after registering nine tries, 14 line-out steals, 21 turnovers and completing 155 tackles.
Since June 2021 Abbie has been part of the Bristol Bears where she took up the role of Captain. She became Nike’s first ever women’s rugby athlete. In 2022, she played for England in the Rugby World Cup, in which they went all the way to the final.
In 2023, Abbie announced she was pregnant which triggered the creation of the RFU's maternity, pregnant parent and adoption leave policy, meaning England women's rugby players are now entitled to 26 weeks' fully-paid maternity leave as well as funds for children to travel to games with them.