Rosie Galligan focusing on positives after heartbreaking World Cup loss: a ‘huge achievement’ | Rugby Union News

Despite England’s loss in the Rugby World Cup final, Harlequins lock Rosie Galligan is focusing on the positives after some major setbacks; “I worked really hard for it, I took my chances when I could, and I managed to achieve lots of things that I never thought I would”

Rosie Galligan fought back through illness and injury to gain a place in the Red Roses World Cup squad

While the heartbreak of a World Cup final loss is a hard one to take, Red Roses’ Rosie Galligan is focusing on the positives after a year to remember in her career.

The England star went on a remarkable journey to achieve World Cup selection, overcoming a series of serious health issues.

That journey began when a night of vomiting and losing all her strength in her legs led to the England and Harlequins lock being blue-lighted to A&E before being diagnosed with meningitis in 2019.

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Former England international Rachael Burford believes England will bounce back from World Cup final defeat against New Zealand

After returning to rugby, Galligan had played just three matches when she fell in a line-out during a Premier 15s match against Worcester and suffered extensive injuries, shattering her ankle bone, fracturing a bone in her leg and rupturing three ligaments.

However, Galligan continued to fight and after impressing for Harlequins, earned herself a Six Nations call-up that led to her earning a spot at the World Cup – a tournament which saw England fall agonisingly short against New Zealand in the final.

“You kind of forget those little moments,” said Galligan.

“You just kind of forget those things but having been back a few weeks now and thinking about my own personal journey, if you had asked me a year ago, I would have never thought I would be at a World Cup.

“So, for me personally it was a huge achievement and for so many of the other girls as well, it was their first World Cup. We know that there is a lot of talent and things just didn’t go right for us on the day and it is now just about how we regroup and we go again and have a good few seasons ahead of 2025.

“I worked really hard for it, I took my chances when I could, and I managed to achieve lots of things that I never thought I would achieve so it is just an incredible feeling.”

Looking to the future: 2025 could be the pinnacle

Galligan is now looking ahead to 2025 and being involved in a World Cup to remember, which she believes could be the “pinnacle” of the sport.

“I think there are now so many people involved in women’s rugby so it is not just us players who are pushing to make it better, you have got so many stakeholders now who are actually interested and invested and investing into women’s rugby,” Galligan said.

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2003 Rugby World Cup winner Will Greenwood says the Rugby World Cup ‘has transcended an 80-minute game’ and believes the Red Roses will sell Twickenham out in the next few years

“There are so many different people who need to come together to make 2025 the best. Not only is it the players and the standard of coaching and actually performing, but also the standard of investment off the pitch and marketing and making sure that we get everything right to ensure we have the best competition in 2025.

“Obviously we did fall slightly short of what we wanted to achieve in New Zealand but the fact that we know it is only two-and-a-half years until the next World Cup and it is a home World Cup, the feeling and the growth that we have seen already from women’s sport and women’s rugby this year, it is only just going to keep excelling.

“As long as we get it right in the lead-up and keep growing the game and keep showing little boys and girls out there what we can achieve and what women’s rugby can be, I think 2025 is going to be the pinnacle for women’s sport.”