Key Facts
| Squad | Richmond |
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| Position | Centre |
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| Age | 25 |
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| Height | 1.65m (5'5") |
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| Weight | 68kg (10st 9lb) |
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| Caps | 42 |
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A six-year-old early starter at Medway RFC, Rachael Burford comes from a rugby loving family. Her mother, father, sister and brother all played the game with dad Michael being her mentor along the way to multiple honours.
They feature England U19, Academy, Sevens and Seniors, for whom she won her fortieth cap against Wales at Twickenham on February 25 2012, and has scored six tries. They include a long range one in the 2010 WRWC match against Kazakhstan, and a conversion. Her more recent contributions include playing off the bench for Kim Oliver when England beat New Zealand 10-0 at Twickenham last November and then starting the second and third Tests that yielded another victory by 21-7 and an 8-8 draw and then appearing against Scotland in February.
She scored the last of England’s seven tries as vice captain the following week in the 43-3 win over Italy on an artificial pitch at Recco, near Genoa and went on to start every match in the 2012 RBS 6 Nations Championship.
Her accolades include captaining England Sevens, being vice captain at national 15-a-side level and leading England A . She had previously figured at county and regional levels and has since represented England Touch Rugby, most recently in 2011. Dubai is home from home for Rachael, who has played there six times for club and country. It qualifies as her favourite ground and also the place where she relished her most memorable tournament - the 2009 Sevens World Cup.
Medway-born, she has also been to South Africa, Canada, France, Amsterdam, Prague, Rome, San Diego and Kinsale, illustrating the global qualities of the women’s game. Rachael began her education at Lordswood Junior School and Thomas Aveling School, both in Kent.
Her qualifications span a National Diploma in Sports Massage and she is a Level One coach and Level Two fitness instructor. Rachael’s working roles have been as a part time personal trainer in the City of London and part time nanny in Twickenham but after the 2010 World Cup she took up an appointment as an RFU Community Rugby Coach for Kent. “I want to develop the women’s and girls’ game,” she continued. “Inside the sport, I want to be a world champion.”
Four clubs have benefited from her skills, starting with Medway from 1992-2003, followed by Henley until 2005, with Saracens next up from 2006-09. She made her debut for Richmond in September 2009, has won the Premiership title with both Saracens and Richmond and returned to the England squad in the autumn of 2011.
Rachael was the Medway Sports Personality of the Year in 2006-07, runner up in 2009 and was chosen in the Sevens European Dream team in 2008. She admires Amy Garnett, the first England women’s player to win a century of caps, and said: “Amy has inspired all the players in the team through her determination and dedication to women’s rugby.”
In the men’s game, Rachael has most respect for Jonny Wilkinson and All Black Dan Carter. She added: “They have an unbelievable work ethic and are true professionals with world class skills.”
Last updated: March 19, 2012
