Wales and Saracens tighthead prop Donna Rose has spoken publicly about living with borderline personality disorder (BPD), describing how the condition affects her daily life despite her success on the rugby pitch. The 35-year-old, who represented Wales at her second World Cup last year and helped Saracens win the Premiership Women's Rugby title in June, says she experiences intense self-doubt and describes the condition as a "devil" telling her she is not good enough, though she has come to see it as a source of strength rather than purely a struggle.

Rose was diagnosed with BPD at 21 after a period of deteriorating mental health and trouble with the police, having grown up in the traveller community feeling different without understanding why. She manages her symptoms with daily medication, but says rugby acts as her true "medicine," helping to release stored adrenaline and calm her mind. A latecomer to the sport, she made her Wales debut in 2021 and has since won 42 caps, competed at two World Cups and four Six Nations, and won the PWR title twice with Saracens, crediting the discipline required by her condition with making her a more effective player.