Position
Back Row
Test Caps
108
Club
Saracens Women
Age
35
Marlie Packer
Marlie Packer left her West Country roots in 2013 to play for Wasps before returning to Bristol and is now playing at Saracens. The flanker played in the Sevens World Cup in Moscow in 2013 and started in the 2014 and 2017 World Cup Finals in 15s. She began her career as a five-year-old with Ivel Barbarians, where she spent 13 years. The openside played in every Six Nations game in 2017 and her outstanding defence in the final game against Ireland which resulted in a 34-7 win and Grand Slam. Marlie joined Saracens at the start of the 2017/18 season and played in four of the five games as England won the 2019 Six Nations Grand Slam. She enjoyed an outstanding 2021/22 season for club and country winning the Six Nations and Allianz Premier 15s titles as well as the RPA’s England Women player of the year award. She was part of the squad that made the final of the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup final and captained Simon Middleton’s squad in the 2023 Six Nations. Later that year, Marlie was named as captain of the Red Roses for the inaugural WXV tournament in New Zealand. England won the title and Packer was crowned World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year. She was recently named captain of John Mitchell’s squad for the Guinness Women’s Six Nations 2024.
- Career Path
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2008 England Women
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2013 Wasps FC Ladies
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2016 Bristol Bears Women
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2017 Saracens Women
The back row consists of two flankers and the No 8. The blind-side flanker wears six and the open-side flanker seven, both specialising in big tackles and winning possession through turnovers. They are fearless, strong and fast to the breakdown. The No 8 secures the ball at the base of the scrum, is an attacking link between forwards and backs and a real force when defending.