Looking into the mirror, I couldn’t ignore an overwhelming feeling of disconnection from myself.
After one year away from playing sport, I wasn’t feeling great about my body.
I was plagued by echoes of society saying a woman needs to look a certain way to be considered beautiful, strong, or accepted.
My body didn’t feel like my own anymore, and I started questioning whether I belonged anywhere.
It wasn’t until I got back to the rugby pitch that I realised feeling strong, capable and valued for what I brought to the team far outweighed my worries about fitting in with some standard.
It was here where I felt truly beautiful.
The upcoming Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 is going to be so powerful for making other women and girls feel the same way, and I’m delighted to be a part of this through the Strong Bodies Strong Minds campaign.
When I moved to Ireland from Cameroon when I was nine, it wasn’t easy. I spent years adjusting to a new culture, a new language, and trying to find my place.
Sport eventually became my anchor – chiefly track and field. It gave me a space to grow, to express myself, and to build confidence when everything else felt unfamiliar. Slowly but surely, I fell in love with Ireland, its people, and its sense of community, and rugby became a huge part of that journey.
I played rugby for the first time in 2015, when I was 19. It was pretty much by accident – I initially started playing tag rugby just as a way of hanging out with my friends, before being asked by a coach if I would like to try it for real.
A few months later, I started playing for Wanderers RFC in Dublin, and I was hooked. The physicality, the teamwork, the adrenaline – I felt alive again.
I moved quickly through the ranks, but not without the setbacks of injuries and selection.
I decided to take a break from the sport in 2021 to 2022. Though I needed the break, the separation from rugby meant that I lost a big part of myself.
It made me realise just how important it was to come back and reconnect with everything rugby offered me.
Immediately after returning to Wanderers, I felt like myself again. Rugby taught me that my body is powerful. It’s not about fitting a mould; it’s about breaking through barriers, literally and figuratively.
That’s when I promised myself I’d never let those societal pressures define my worth again.
The tournament is about more than just the incredible world-class rugby we’re going to see on the pitch; it’s a real celebration of how inclusive and empowering rugby is.
Rugby welcomes every shape, size, and background. The World Cup, which starts today, will amplify that message, and show that this sport thrives on diversity and on pushing your limits, not on fitting into someone else’s idea of what an athlete should look like.
I’ve had people, from loved ones to strangers, comment on my appearance in the past.
It used to bother me, but not anymore. Sure, it still happens occasionally, sometimes online, but I’ve learned to rise above it.
Rugby reminds me every day that I am strong, capable, and enough just as I am. I live proudly as myself because I know that my worth isn’t tied to anyone else’s opinion. My focus is on what I can achieve, on and off the pitch.
Now, just ten years after picking up a ball for the first time, I’m incredibly proud to wear the green jersey and play for Ireland.
Looking at where I am now, representing Ireland on the world stage, it feels surreal. The World Cup is the biggest celebration of women’s rugby we’ve ever seen. It’s a generational moment, with record-breaking audiences and a grassroots-to-global legacy.
It’s a huge moment in time for us to inspire a new generation of women and girls to feel strong and confident in whatever they do. I’m beyond excited to be part of it, and I know how much it means, not just to me, but to every player and fan who loves this game.
Looking back on that time when I doubted myself, I’m so glad I stuck with sport. Rugby gave me back my confidence and showed me that strength isn’t about appearance, it’s about heart, resilience, and how you show up for your team and yourself.
My hope is that teenage girls and young women see this and feel empowered to be strong, confident, and unapologetically themselves, no matter what the world says.
To every girl who’s ever felt like she doesn’t belong in sport: Strong Bodies Strong Minds is for you, the tournament is for you, rugby is for you.
Rugby has given me so much; confidence, resilience, friendships that feel like family, and a sense of belonging I’ll cherish forever.
When I step onto the pitch, I know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
I’ll always belong in this sport, because rugby is about celebrating what your body can do, not how it looks doing it.
And at the Rugby World Cup – we’ll prove it.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk.
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