Abi Burton: 'I have to remind myself of that journey I have been on'

After winning a Women’s Rugby World Cup your 06:15 alarm takes some getting used to. That is the reality for Abi Burton.

At the end of September, the Trailfinders Women back-row forward stood alongside 31 teammates as England’s Red Roses lifted the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in front of a world record crowd at Allianz Stadium.

In the days that followed Burton’s life was a whirlwind. The 25-year-old went from celebrating the win at Battersea Power Station, to seeing Lady Gaga and even stood pitch side at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for an NFL game. Then the alarm had to be switched back on.

Full-time head coach of Brunel University’s women’s programme, who she helped to Women’s BUCS Super Rugby promotion last season, getting back to every day life had to happen at some point.

“It’s really weird because I’m just this girl from Leeds in Yorkshire who didn’t expect people to know my name or to be introduced as a World Cup winner,” Burton told RugbyPass.

“That’s something you basically dream of. One thing that really sticks out for me; after the game we stayed at Twickenham Stadium for a bit, eventually we went to the Cabbage Patch and we were swarmed with people.

“My mum and auntie couldn’t even get in to begin with because there was just so many people around, shouting out names and stuff like that. They threw bracelets at you. I’ve got more bracelets that I can’t even count.

“It’s just been incredible and the fact that we got to leave this lasting legacy on women’s rugby in the UK. That’s pretty special.”

Amongst all the celebrations there was also a moment for reflection. And there is a lot to reflect on for Burton.

Only three years ago the notion of Burton competing at a Women’s Rugby World Cup seemed far-fetched. In fact, her entire professional playing career was in doubt after a bout with autoimmune encephalitis.

After initially being misdiagnosed she was sectioned before 76 days in hospital, 25 of which were in a coma as she received plasma exchanges.

During that time it was her parents that shouldered the burden of her care and made the decisions their daughter was unable to.

She lost just shy of 20kg. And had to learn how to walk and talk again.

Two years later Burton was named as a reserve player for Team GB at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and later took part in her second tournament at the Games after Amy Wilson-Hardy’s withdrawal.

Within six months of her full-time return to the 15-a-side game and Burton made her debut against France in the 2025 Guinness Women’s Six Nations.

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Then selected by John Mitchell to compete at her first Women’s Rugby World Cup, it capped off a chapter in the 25-year-old’s life.

“It’s definitely something that I have to remind myself of because I don’t remember the time of me being ill,” Burton said. “I find it difficult to then think about it straight away.

“So when I get frustrated, potentially, about not playing as much as I (would have) liked – like I got into a World Cup, you do your role, you play, but then after that your role changes. I am competitive, I wouldn’t have gone to two Olympics and then got into the Red Roses without being competitive.

“But I have to remind myself of that journey I have been on. I’ve just got to remind myself of it because otherwise I end up falling into the trap of wanting more, when sometimes I just need to live in the moment and remember that three years ago I couldn’t eat.

“My mum reminds me of it a lot. I said to my mum (at the Women’s Rugby World Cup final), how cool was this day? She was like, ‘yeah it was cool but that isn’t the reason I enjoyed it so much’.

“I asked why and she said, ‘I’ve just seen you so happy and I’ve never got to see you like that surrounded by your friends’. The fact that we got to share that moment together, specifically, after that celebration on the pitch; it was really, really special.”

Just like her commute to Uxbridge to coach Brunel University a return to Premiership Women’s Rugby duty for her club side was not too far away.

Trailfinders have entered the new campaign with a hum around them. The arrival of World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year nominee Meg Jones, along with Black Ferns duo Alana Borland and Georgia Ponsonby and Scotland internationals Rachel Malcolm, Francesca McGhie and Emma Wassell have bolstered the squad in the aim of turning them from top four hopefuls into contenders.

Despite dazzling for most of last season, Barney Maddison’s side missed out on the semi-finals by 27 points. Additional stardust could go a long way to bridging the gap between the chasing pack and a place in the last dance.

In the opening round Trailfinders lost out to Exeter Chiefs 24-12 in London and will enjoy a bye-week this weekend. Burton played for the full 80 minutes in that defeat and provided yet another tireless display of her talents.

“I think even without these signings this season, the goal would have always stayed the same,” Burton said. “We want to win a Premiership and that’s not going to change until we do it.

“Then, when we do it, we’re going to want to win another one. The goal for us going in is, we want to be top four, and we want to upset some big teams. I think we have the power and the capability to do that.

“That’s the thing people think with big signings, like we’re just going to blow everyone out the water straight away. But from me being a coach, you’ve got to have expectations, and I just hope we gel really well until Christmas. That’s all I would want.

“Of course, performance, we want to win, but I want us to fond that bond before Christmas to see how we keep on going.”