Poppy does rugby but needs her knee

Poppy has been playing rugby since the age of 6, she said at that very young age that ballet wasn’t for her and could she try rugby….

She joined Southmead RFC played tag rugby, at that time she was the only girl in the team and there wasn’t many in the whole of the club so she was flying the flag for girls rugby, she had some amazing memories and her love of rugby grew.

Poppy then went on to an all girls rugby team at North Bristol where she currently resides now as a member of the GU18s, Poppy has continued to grow her passion and love of rugby, she has gone from 13, 15 and now playing 10 for college rugby.

Summer 2024 England RFU changed the way the girls pathway and Poppy trialled for England Rugby Player Development Group U18s where she was successful in securing a spot for Midlands 1.

Sept 2024 she became a member of the SGS Filton Rugby Academy where she picked up to be the No 10, her days at college haven’t been easy, sadly she picked up an MCL injury, she then picked up an ankle injury and then in Feb 2025 Poppy started having seizures from no where, these continued and in Mar 25 these became more serious and more frequent.

April 2025 has been a tough month, Poppy hoped that she would have a career in the Royal Navy and play for the RN Women’s team but due to her diagnosis of a Functional Neurological Disorder with Functional Seizures, this career option has been put on hold for several years due to the entry requirements.

Unfortunately on 11th April Poppy was doing some light running and her knee suddenly went again and we got her in for an MRI and we have been given the news that Poppy has an full thickness ACL tear, Grade 2 tear in her lateral meniscus and torn her medial meniscus at the root, Grade 1 MCL tear

Whilst we are navigating our way through the NHS and Private options, Poppy wants to try and fundraise for her treatment in some way as she understands what’s needed to get her back out there quickly so her U18s season isn’t gone.

Poppy has been so positive and has been so strong in the diagnosis of everything to the point that in Sept 2025 she’s switching college courses and wanting to take up medical science with the plans of becoming a paramedic, she made such a big choice whilst having all this going on.

Poppy has had so many hurdles and challenges to jump through in the past 3 years, being diagnosed with Dyslexia in Year 10, battling through her GCSEs which she passed with flying colours to now being diagnosed with FND and now her knee injury, Pops really does need a break.

If you have made it this far thank you from Poppy, she truly appreciates everyone who supports her and supports her dreams