Change The Record is a GLAMOUR series dedicated to profiling and celebrating British sports stars. These women are flipping the narrative on what it means to be an elite female athlete, from competing on their periods to balancing training with pregnancy and motherhood, navigating body image pressures, and yes, chasing world records.
Here, we chat to 21-year-old Lilli Ives Campion ahead of her senior debut for the England Women's rugby squad at the Six Nations Championships about how she got into rugby, her message to women and young girls who want to give it a go, and the changing misconceptions around the sport.
When Lilli Ives Campion answers the question, ‘So, what do you do then?’ people are often shocked by her reply. In case you hadn't gathered, Lilli is a professional rugby player – and when we catch up over Zoom, she's preparing to make her senior debut for England, or the ‘Red Roses’, at the 2025 Guinness Women's Six Nations Championships.
For the uninitiated, the Guinness Women's Six Nations is an annual rugby tournament between England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. Despite the fact that England has won the competition for the last six consecutive years, 63% of rugby union fans aren’t able to name a player on England’s women’s team, according to a report in 2024. But that's all about to change.
2025 promises to be a crucial year for women's rugby, with the Rugby World Cup taking place over the summer and the Six Nations already underway. And for Lilli, the game is just getting started.
“It's a really incredible opportunity and something that I'm really proud of to represent England,” she tells GLAMOUR. “It's a great team to play for – with such big legacy.”
A lingerie campaign with Team GB's rugby team has divided the internet.
“People don't initially think that I'm a rugby player, so when I tell them, they obviously get a bit shocked,” Lilli tells GLAMOUR. Thankfully, women's rugby is gaining traction and, more importantly, recognition. Last year's Women's Six Nations was the most viewed on record, with 8.1m tuning in for three minutes or more, a 33% increase from the previous year. “The way the game's going and the coverage we're getting, the misconceptions aren't exactly there anymore,” reflects Lilli.
She started playing rugby at school and hasn't stopped playing since. "It's something I always knew in the back of my mind but didn't put any pressure on. I just wanted to play for the enjoyment of it and to play with my friends. I was really lucky enough to then have the opportunity to play professionally.
The social aspect has always been one of the most attractive parts of rugby for Lilli. “A lot of my friends are from rugby, whether it's playing for a club with them or growing up within that same rugby environment.”
Despite the social benefits of rugby, young girls are still less likely to play rugby than their male counterparts – call it a gender play gap. Only four in 10 women aged 18 to 24 had the opportunity to play rugby at school, according to a 2024 research report. With that in mind, what it Lilli's message for women and young girls who are interested in trying rugby?
“You just honestly have to give it a go. I had the same thoughts when I was a lot younger. I tried rugby and then obviously never looked back. So you've got to give it a go and see where it takes you.”
Finally, what does Lilli want to change the record on in women's sport? “The amount of supporters and fans that we can get at games to start selling out stadiums,” she replies. “The fan exposure is a really cool opportunity because playing in front of crowds is so uplifting and having that atmosphere is a really incredible experience.”
You can watch England take on Wales on Saturday 29th March live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
For more from Glamour UK's Lucy Morgan, follow her on Instagram @lucyalexxandra.
As another incredible year of sport beckons, we spoke to the GOAT about the ongoing fight for women's equality, from body image to the boardroom.
