Title, ring and IVF eye opener – Evans’ whirlwind year
Wales rugby forward Georgia Evans has described a whirlwind year that has included winning the Premiership Women's Rugby title with Saracens, getting engaged to England World Cup winner Hannah Botterman, and beginning the process of starting a family. It marks a stark contrast to 12 months earlier, when Wales exited the World Cup poorly and Evans faced online abuse over her appearance, an episode that saw the rugby community rally behind her pink ribbon as a symbol of solidarity. She says she is now in a much happier place, crediting a lighter mental approach for freeing up her performances on the pitch.
Evans, 29, won the PWR title with Saracens before Botterman proposed on the Greek island of Zakynthos, and the couple have since bought a new house together. Wales forward Alisha Joyce and centre Meg Webb will be bridesmaids, though wedding plans remain on hold. The couple have also started exploring fertility options, with Botterman undergoing IVF pre-scans she described as "terribly surprised" by, and both praised the support offered by England and Wales rugby setups, citing Alisha and Jaz Joyce's baby Ralphie as an example of family-friendly environments in the Wales camp.
- Georgia Evans won the PWR title and got engaged to Hannah Botterman
- Couple have begun exploring IVF and starting a family
- Evans says she feels happier and freer a year after online abuse
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Georgia Evans plays as a forward for Wales and Saracens, one of the leading clubs in Premiership Women's Rugby, England's top domestic women's competition. A year ago she was dealing with a difficult period, including Wales's early World Cup exit and abusive comments about her appearance online, which prompted rugby supporters to adopt a pink ribbon as a gesture of solidarity with her.
Since then her circumstances have changed considerably. She helped Saracens win the Premiership Women's Rugby title, got engaged to Hannah Botterman, an England international who won the World Cup with her country, and the pair have begun looking into starting a family together, including exploring fertility treatment.
The story matters partly because it reflects a broader trend of women's rugby players speaking more openly about their personal lives, relationships and family planning, and because it touches on how much support elite sportswomen receive from their teams when balancing careers with starting families.