Zoe Harrison

Zoe Harrison
Full nameZoe Eloise Harrison
Date of birth (1998-04-14) 14 April 1998 (age 26)
Height173 cm (5 ft 8 in)
Weight73 kg (161 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly-half / Centre
Current team Saracens Women
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2016– Saracens ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2016–2018 England U20s
2017– England 46 (112)
National sevens team
Years Team Comps
2015 England U18s

Zoe Eloise Harrison (born 14 April 1998) is an English rugby player who plays for the England women's national rugby union team and Saracens Women at club level. She made her international debut for England in 2017 and was offered a full-time contract for the national side in 2019.[1]

International career

Harrison first played for the England women's national rugby team in 2017, when she made three appearances in the autumn internationals. Her first game was against Canada: England won 79-5.[2]

She was awarded a full-time England contract in January 2019. The same year, she played in all five games of the 2019 Women's Six Nations Championships and started the final three games as England won the Grand Slam.

Also in 2019, Harrison made appearances in all of England's Super Series matches in San Diego.

In 2020, she played each of the side's 2020 Women's Six Nations matches. On 1 April 2021 it was announced that Harrison was omitted from the England team for their 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship opening game against Italy Women due to a breach of COVID-19 regulations.[3] Harrison had forgotten to sign in to the COVID-19 app used to monitor the team and staff's well-being three times; England head coach Simon Middleton confirmed there would be no carry-over in the punishment.[4]

She returned in April 2021 to play England's post-Six Nations friendly test against France. The game ended after 62 minutes due to floodlight failure, but England were declared the winners with 17 points against France's 15.[5] She was named in the England squad for the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup held in New Zealand in October and November 2022.[6]

Club career

Harrison made her senior rugby debut during the 2016-17 season with Saracens Women, where she was then named players’ player of the year. She started both the 2018 and 2019 Tyrrells Premier 15s finals for Saracens, scoring two tries in the 2019 final in an 18-point individual haul to help the club win back-to-back titles.[7]

In 2020, she signed a new deal with Saracens, where she continues to play.[8]

Early life and education

Harrison started playing rugby at five years old at Tring. Her father, John, represented Wales at schoolboys' level rugby and her brother, Alex, has played for Wasps reserves.[9][10]

Despite suffering bullying from other students she continued to play rugby throughout her teens. At 14, she was drafted into the England Women talent development group. She moved to Welwyn to play U15s and U16s rugby and has played for Hertfordshire County and South East at this level. She went on to represent England in the European U18s 7s Championships, which the team won, and to play for the England U20s team.[9][8]

She attended Middlesex University and achieved a qualification in Sports Rehabilitation and Exercise and previously studied at Hartpury College on the AASE Girls Rugby Programme.[11]

Harrison is currently an ambassador for Umbro.[12]

References

  1. ^ "RFU". www.englandrugby.com. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  2. ^ "England's Jessica Breach scores six tries on debut in rout of Canada". The Guardian. 17 November 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  3. ^ "England's Rowland starts, Harrison out". BBC Sport. April 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  4. ^ "England fly-half Harrison dropped for Six Nations over 'third strike' Covid breach". inews.co.uk. 1 April 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Floodlight failure stops England's Test". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  6. ^ "Rugby World Cup: Sadia Kabeya and Morwenna Talling in England squad". BBC Sport. 20 September 2022.
  7. ^ "RFU". www.englandrugby.com. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Zoe Harrison". www.ultimaterugby.com. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  9. ^ a b Mahmood, Abdullah (4 June 2019). "Zoe Harrison". Saracens. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  10. ^ "'I'm going to play for England one day, what are you going to do?': How Zoe Harrison dealt with her name-calling secondary school bullies". www.rugbypass.com. 28 March 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  11. ^ Mahmood, Abdullah (4 June 2019). "Zoe Harrison". Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  12. ^ "Zoe Harrison: 'The spotlight is on England now. It's time to perform'". The Independent. 1 April 2021. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2021.