Dow's Dream Return
Having begun playing rugby aged five, Abby Dow was putting in the kind of try-scoring performances guaranteed to put her on the plane to New Zealand and the Rugby World Cup.
That was until she ran out at Kingsholm to take on Wales and, with the world tournament only six months away, was soon lying on a stretcher, her right leg broken.
It wasn’t only the intense pain but also stories of on-form players missing out through injury plaguing her.
“We’d been building for the World Cup for five years and ‘this time it’s me’ was going through my head,” she recalls.
In London, under the care of a specialist surgeon: “I remember crying in my hospital bed when the news was broken to me that it was extremely unlikely that I would be there. I needed quite a big operation."
Once through surgery, the spirit for which she had become known kicked in, the supportive family and friends assembled to give lifts to rehab, the England Women’s head physio Emily Ross rolled up her sleeves.
“If there was a witchdoctor it would be Emily,” says Dow. “And because it was my right leg, I couldn’t drive so my family and friends were dragged through the whole situation with me. Rehab isn’t just about you, it’s about all the people around you.”
Using five different rehab machines, relentlessly building, sometimes in tears, Dow fought for her dream.
“Initially, I was told nine months. Then we tried to squeeze it down to six, then a bit more. For the first two or three months the million-dollar question was: ‘Am I still on track to make it?’ “
Dow’s stress levels descended through the roof as the race looked likely to be won.
“Harlequins’ Will Evans had a break like me and got back in eight or nine months. It was great to talk to him and understand what this injury was going to be like. I’d never had surgery before, so to have that support helped a lot.”
When head coach, Simon Middleton, was asked whether selecting Dow was a gamble he said: “It's a bigger gamble not to take her. If we can get her on the park and something near her best form, we know we'll have a cutting edge.”
And she was on the bench for England’s Rugby World Cup opener against Fiji after a remarkable and fiercely-fought recovery.
That cutting edge had been apparent since her first cap for England in the 2017 against Canada and scoring five tries in her first two appearances. Watching her fly, crossing the whitewash, collecting Test points, it’s no surprise that she also collected the International Rugby Players try of the year award for 2022 with her try v Canada in the world tournament. Simon Middleton called her 50th minute romp a “magical moment” as it set up the final with New Zealand.
In 2016 Abby joined Wasps, signing for Harlequins for the 2022/23 Allianz Premier 15s season. A swimmer until 16 when she decided to focus on rugby, in January 2021, she completed a Masters in Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London, where she achieved first class honours.
“I started rugby after watching my brother Chris who went down to the local club with me and my sister Ruth on the sidelines. We weren’t just going to watch him, so we jumped into it.
“It was very much a family orientated thing and that went through all the way to when I left Maidenhead to go into the girls’ Reading team. It was always such a big family event, my dad also coached there so he had a lot of influence through my younger years as my coach. Up to this day my family are still my number one supporters, They’re there for as many matches as they can be and it’s a big privilege to have such support.
“My sister, brother, and I were all playing at Maidenhead and unfortunately my brother picked up a knee injury and didn’t quite come back from it. My sister, I always considered the chip off the old block, and always the better player, there’s no question, genuinely! She went through England U20 with me and then unfortunately she had quite a big injury, and had to step back but what’s really refreshing is she’s just started again. She’s living in Ireland and playing for an Irish team.
“If it wasn’t for my friends and family I wouldn’t have been able to rehab to the extent that I did. I was being driven everywhere and the mental toll was completely lessened by having their support.
“When you’ve got such expertise around you, in terms of with Emily the physio, quite often I would be unsure what I was able to do and she, just knowing my leg so well, would be like ‘no, you’re absolutely fine, this is something you can 100% do’. My confidence came from her being like, ‘you’ve got it’. I definitely think my confidence has returned.
“What would I tell a young player? The game is on the pitch, but there is so much more. I am in a place now where, no matter what happens, I will never be able to give as much as rugby has given to me. I would just love the game as much as you are able. It’s such an easy game to love and such an easy way to find a family, no matter how big or small, because everyone around you is there to enjoy it.
“Right now, we’re in unprecedented times where the inspiration from our fans is absolutely incredible, and there’s such a good systematic growth of the women’s game in England. It’s just a privilege to be a part of it and if we’re able to help that next generation who are going to be ten times better than us, then I’m very happy to be a part of those foundations.”
