England World Cup Winner Dow Retires Aged 28

England's World Cup-winning helping Abby Dow has announced her status from rugby astatine nan property of 28.

Speaking exclusively to BBC Sport, Dow revealed: "I 100% could spell to different World Cup, I could spell connected a Lions tour, I do admit they are large things that could person been connected nan radar.

"But I'm besides truthful excited for different chapters of my life, I deliberation I've fixed arsenic overmuch arsenic I tin successful this shape of nan game, and I'm conscionable fresh for nan adjacent move."

Dow has revealed she plans connected returning to a profession successful mechanical engineering, having completed her grade astatine Imperial College London successful 2020.

"I personally judge that we are losing arguably nan champion correct winger successful world rugby astatine nan highest of her powers, but we afloat respect her determination to move connected to a caller chapter," said England caput coach John Mitchell.

After her debut successful 2017, Dow went connected to people 50 tries successful 59 caps, a number she delights in: "I rather for illustration finishing connected an awkward number pinch 59 caps. It's conscionable awkward, and I deliberation it's perfect."

She won 7 Six Nations titles, including six Grand Slams, earlier lifting nan World Cup successful September pinch a 33-13 triumph complete Canada connected location soil.

There had been clues of Dow's intentions to discontinue nan sport. After playing for Wasps, Harlequins and Ealing successful Premiership Women's Rugby she did not motion for different nine astatine nan conclusion of nan 2024-25 play erstwhile her Trailfinders statement ended.

She revealed to BBC Sport that she had initially not intended to play much than 1 World Cup but pursuing the nonaccomplishment to New Zealand successful 2022, arsenic she sat successful nan changing room crying aft nan crippled she knew "I wanted to transportation on".

Three years later arsenic Dow sat successful nan Twickenham changing room arsenic a world champion, she knew that her rugby profession was now astatine a close.

"I'm really happy pinch my batch present - I deliberation nan opportunity I've had, it's been incredible, it's been brilliant," she said.

"I've had 5 years of being a master jock that I would ne'er regret. But I'm besides truthful excited for different chapters of my life. I deliberation I've fixed arsenic overmuch arsenic I tin successful this shape of nan game, and I'm conscionable fresh for nan adjacent move."

Dow's characteristic has shone done during her England career.

Off nan transportation she became known for her crochet, making puns, and her brother's fancy dress costumes successful honour of guidance teams astatine England games., external

At nan 2025 World Cup, England fans were speedy to adopt nan crochet life that Dow lived successful her down-time distant from nan rugby pitch, pinch the Women's Institute producing a "yarnbombing" artwork successful Northampton earlier nan Red Roses' pool-stage gathering pinch Samoa., external

Dow was blown distant by nan crochet love, but besides by really 2 very different worlds could travel together.

"I deliberation it's really important successful women's spaces that we don't stereotype," she said.

"You could stereotype rather easy nan WI but really they were a bunch of women who had an unthinkable magnitude of fun, who turned up to each nan games, who supported whoever, nan loudest cheerers, and really participated.

"It conscionable shows that really location wasn't a limit, and location isn't a limit for a young woman picking up a rugby shot for nan first time. There isn't a limit for maine arsenic a master jock aliases soon to not be, and location isn't a limit for a female who wanted to beryllium portion of nan WI community.

"Seeing Northampton covered successful what nan WI did there, it was outstanding. Seeing Twickenham perfectly covered successful crochet, it showed it was much than conscionable rugby, it was much than women's rugby. It was astir women and it was conscionable unthinkable to person touched that ever truthful somewhat successful my way."

Having juggled nan early stages of her rugby profession pinch her studies, a life successful engineering now beckons for Dow.

No occupation is lined up but she's successful talks pinch different companies successful a assemblage she describes arsenic "so logical - it's virtually a spot of me".

"I do emotion astir apt nan automotive area, that benignant of engineering wherever it's rather precocious performance," she said.

"You're trying to creation nan best, and you're trying to push innovation, and push yourself arsenic good arsenic nan engineering, and study caller things - and study things that aren't learned yet."

As she walks towards her caller engineering life - people pinch a mini crocheted World Cup - she says she won't move her backmost connected nan game.

Having picked up a shot astatine Maidenhead astatine property 5 past moving to play for Reading, immoderate of her halfway memories increasing up are pinch sister Ruth and relative Chris playing connected different pitches and past begging their parents "for nan 1 lb to spell and bargain nan chips astatine nan clubhouse".

"I deliberation pinch time, I will astir apt travel backmost to nan game, because I emotion nan sport," she added.

"I conscionable cognize that my master profession is done and I'm fresh to emotion nan athletics successful a different way. And I deliberation that's nan joyousness of rugby, is that you tin emotion it successful truthful galore different ways.

It's not conscionable location for you conscionable to play, it's for location for you to watch. It's location for you to beryllium a volunteer. It's location to beryllium portion of a family. I look astatine really it really it started for maine erstwhile it was a family affair, and I dream successful nan early for maine that it could beryllium nan same.

"So no, it's ne'er a goodbye to rugby."