DIVA sat down with the Welsh Rugby Union Player ahead of the Rugby World Cup
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY WELSH RUGBY UNION
Donna Rose first started playing rugby as a teenager because she loved the aggression of it. For those 80 minutes, all that mattered was tackling, scrums and intimidating the defence. Coming from a council estate, she would rock up in a football jersey and shorts that were too big because she couldn’t buy the kit. Although Donna loved rugby, the idea of playing it professionally seemed like a dream that was very far away.
Now, Donna is gearing up for the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup (22 August – 27 September) which is being held in the UK this year. Set to be a generational moment for rugby, this record-breaking tournament has already sold over 330,000 tickets, meaning that it’s got more than double the attendees of the 2021 RWC. 16 teams will battle it out on the pitch to get the coveted trophy. In Donna’s case, she’s hoping to fly the Welsh flag all the way to the final.
Joining the Wales team at 30, Donna had never imagined that she would ever play rugby on a platform like this. “Never in a million years did I think that I would be good enough. It was never a dream of mine. I just played for the aggression of it.”
So what changed her mind? Her coach – Alex Austberry – suggested she join a premier club team. But instead of asking her to play her old position (number eight), he wanted her to be a prop. “I was like: my head is not going in the front of that scrum,” Donna laughs. But when she watched a Saracens match, she realised that she wanted to give it a go. So she did, and she “loved it”.
Off the pitch, Donna is hoping to provide inspiration that isn’t just rugby related. She’s been open about living with borderline personality disorder (BPD), and tells DIVA that it’s actually a “superpower” for her.
“I wanted to be open because I realised that there are lots of people like me who grew up on the wrong end of the law and didn’t think they were worthy of life. If one person can use me as motivation when they’re in the dumps, then that would be amazing.”
After speaking out about her experiences with BPD, Donna has been inundated with messages from people who told her how much it meant to read her story. “I want people to realise that we can use our dark places to become who we want to be and thrive.” Donna is also an ambassador for a charity which helps empower players, coaches and supporters to make mental health conversations the norm.
Rugby has also given Donna a platform to provide LGBTQIA+ representation – something she knows the importance of all too well. It was actually joining her first rugby team that helped her find the courage to come out. In fact, she actually met her partner through playing rugby. For Donna, rugby is the perfect place for queer people to feel welcomed, seen and heard. “It’s so open,” she says. “We will take anyone if you can catch and run with a ball. No one judges.”
At this Rugby World Cup, Donna hopes that attendees will come away realising how “inclusive” the game is. And for younger girls watching in the audience, Donna hopes that she can show them what is possible when they grow up.
More tickets are on sale through the official Rugby World Cup 2025 ticketing site – fans are encouraged to join the celebrations and not to miss out: https://tickets.rugbyworldcup.com
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