Abi Burton

Rugby career Burton first played in the Premier 15s for Gloucester-Hartpury. She captained the England women's national rugby sevens team in the Kharkiv 7s, part of the 2019 Rugby Europe Women's Sevens Grand Prix Series. In September 2020, she joined Wasps Ladies.

In June 2021 she was confirmed in the Great Britain Rugby Sevens squad for the delayed 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo.

In May 2023 Burton was awarded the Blyth Spirit award by the Rugby Rugby Players Association.

In June 2024, she was named as a reserve for the British squad at the 2024 Olympic Games. She was drafted into the team during the tournament when Amy Wilson-Hardy was withdrawn on medical grounds. The team finished seventh.

After impressing for Trailfinders Women in the Premiership Women's Rugby she was called up to the England national women's rugby union team in January 2025, scoring two tries on debut against Wales. In 2025, she was part of the victorious England squad at the 2025 Rugby World Cup, starting the match against Samoa. During the 2026 Six Nations Championship she transitioned from flanker to playing second row for the national team. She featured in the final match of the championship against France as England extended their unbeaten run to 38 matches and won a fifth consecutive grand slam in the event.

Personal life Burton had a period of ill health in 2022 with Autoimmune encephalitis spending 76 days in hospital including 25 days in a coma receiving plasma exchanges. She lost in weight and had to learn to walk and talk again, had seizures, and was initially misdiagnosed as experiencing psychotic episodes.

Honours England Women's Rugby World Cup Champion (1): 2025