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Poppy Cleall

b. 1992

English women's rugby union player

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About Poppy Cleall

Born 1992. Poppy Cleall is a British rugby union player.

Poppy Georgia Cleall (born 12 June 1992) is an English rugby union player. She also plays for Saracens Women at club level. She is the 2021 Six Nations Player of the Year, England Player of the year and the leading all time Premiership try scorer. She was nominated for World Player of the Year in 2021. She has won 5 Grand Slams and 4 Premiership Titles with Saracens.

International career Cleall made her England debut at the 2016 Women's Six Nations Championship. In 2017 she featured in every game of the 2017 Six Nations in which England won the Grand Slam.

The same year, she was selected for the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup team as an injury replacement; England reached the final of the tournament.

The following year she again played for England's 2018 Six Nations team, switching between flanker, No. 8 and second row.

She captained England for the first time in a record win v New Zealand at Franklin’s Gardens. She went on to captain the side again in the 2022 Six Nations, for a game v Italy. England won the grand slam and Cleall won her fifth title. She was named in the England squad for the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup held in New Zealand in October and November 2022.

Club career Cleall signed for Bristol Ladies in 2010 and moved to Saracens Women from 2012 to 2016.

She returned to Bristol for the 2016/17 season but rejoined Saracens in 2017, where she continues to play.

During her time at Saracens, Cleall has achieved three back to back Women's Premiership titles. She was named Player of the Match in the 2019 final.

She was named Player of the Match in the 21/22 season semis final as Saracens beat Quins. They won the title after defeating Exeter Chiefs in the final.

Honours Awarded an Honorary doctorate of Arts from Bournemouth University for her work in women’s rugby and founded the Women’s Rugby Agency.

2022- Women’s Rugby World Cup Finalist

2021 - Six Nations Player of the Championship

2021 - Nominated for World Player of the Year

2021- England Player of the Year

2021- World Rugby Dream Team of the Year

2017 - Women's Rugby World Cup finalist

Early life and education Cleall started playing rugby aged six; growing up, she played for Ellingham and Ringwood, Wimborne and Salisbury RFCs.

In 2020, Cleall founded the Women's Rugby Agency to encourage more girls to join the sport. She also co-founded a tuck shop for the England team during the 2021 with teammate Hannah Botterman, providing door-to-door snacks to players as they trained and lived in a hotel for the latter 2020 Six Nations matches due to Coronavirus restrictions.

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Important facts

Birth century
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People in Poppy Cleall's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

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Frequently asked questions

Who is Poppy Cleall?

English women's rugby union player

When was Poppy Cleall born?

Poppy Cleall was born on 12 June 1992 in Norwich.

What is Poppy Cleall's occupation?

Poppy Cleall is a rugby union player.

What nationality is Poppy Cleall?

Poppy Cleall is British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Poppy Cleall

· Wikidata: Q61675118

· DBpedia: Poppy Cleall

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Poppy Cleall. https://biography.guide/poppy-cleall/

MLA: "Poppy Cleall." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/poppy-cleall/.

Chicago: "Poppy Cleall." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/poppy-cleall/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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