Rugby World Cup winner Lark Atkin-Davies has announced that she is pregnant with her first child.
The Bristol Bears hooker has not featured for her club this season in Premiership Women’s Rugby.
Atkin-Davies has 74 caps for England’s Red Roses and played in all six matches at the Rugby World Cup, scoring three tries as England won the tournament at home in September.
In a video on Instagram, the 30-year-old said her baby is due in June.
Bristol Bears said they are excited and “can’t wait to welcome a new bear cub”.
Atkin-Davies made her England debut in 2015. Her England and Bristol team-mate Abbie Ward had a baby in 2023 and returned to rugby just 17 weeks later.
England players are entitled to 26 weeks of fully paid maternity leave, plus support for children to travel to matches, after the RFU updated its maternity policy in February 2023.
