Sarah Beckett
{{Short description|England international rugby union player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| full_name = Sarah Elizabeth Beckett
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1999|2|14|df=y}}
| birth_place = Liverpool, England
| height = 1.78 m
| weight = 96 kg
| relatives = Charlie Beckett (brother)
| position = Back row
| amatyears1 =
| amatteam1 = Lancashire
| amatapps1 =
| amatpoints1 =0
| amatyears2 =
| amatteam2 = North of England U18s
| amatapps2 =
| amatpoints2 =0
| ru_amclubcaps =
| ru_amclubpoints =
| ru_currentteam = Gloucester-Hartpury
| years1 = 2017–2019
| clubs1 = Firwood Waterloo
| apps1 =
| points1 = 0
| years2 = 2019–2022
| clubs2 = Harlequins
| apps2 =
| points2 = 0
| years3 = 2022–
| clubs3 = Gloucester-Hartpury
| apps3 =
| points3 =0
| repyears1 = 2018
| repteam1 = England U20s
| repcaps1 =
| reppoints1 =
| repyears2 = 2018–
| repteam2 = England
| repcaps2 = 35
| reppoints2 = 20
}}
Sarah Elizabeth Beckett (born 14 February 1999) is a professional English rugby union player. She represents England women's national rugby union team internationally and plays for Gloucester-Hartpury at club level.{{Cite web |title=Sarah Beckett |url=https://www.englandrugby.com/england/senior-women/squad/sarah-beckett |access-date=26 May 2021 |website=englandrugby.com}}
International career
Beckett made her England debut in November 2018, starting in an 57–5 victory of USA Women. She featured in every game as England won the 2019 Women's Six Nations Championship Grand Slam.{{Cite web |title=Harlequins Women sign England Number Eight Sarah Beckett |url=https://www.quins.co.uk/news/harlequins-women-sign-england-number-eight-sarah-beckett/ |access-date=26 May 2021 |website=quins.co.uk}}{{Cite web |last=Heal |first=Chris |date=15 March 2019 |title=Sarah Beckett |url=http://www.talkingrugbyunion.co.uk/sarah-beckett-you-get-to-live-your-dream-day-in-day-out-it-is-sensational-/22489.htm |access-date=26 May 2021 |website=Talking Rugby Union}}
She played in all Autumn Internationals and 2020 Women's Six Nations matches.{{Cite web |last=Cartwright |first=Elizabeth |date=15 February 2021 |title=Who could guide the Red Roses to World Cup glory |url=https://lastwordonsports.com/rugby/2021/02/15/who-could-guide-red-roses-to-world-cup-glory/ |access-date=26 May 2021 |website=Last Word on Rugby}}
On 17 March 2025, she was named in the Red Roses squad for the Women's Six Nations Championship.{{Cite web |date=17 March 2025 |title=Red Roses squad for Six Nations announced |url=https://www.englandrugby.com/follow/news-media/red-roses-squad-six-nations-announced |access-date=18 March 2025 |website=England Rugby}}{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Martyn |date=17 March 2025 |title=John Mitchell names 4 uncapped players in England's Six Nations squad |url=https://www.rugbypass.com/news/england-womens-six-nations-squad/ |access-date=18 March 2025 |website=RugbyPass}}
Club career
Beckett made her debut in the Premier 15s for Waterloo Ladies aged 18. The club was renamed Firwood Waterloo Ladies Rugby Football Club for sponsorship reasons. She won the Gill Burns' Ladies Championship with Firwood in the 2016/17 season. In the same season, she also won the Gill Burns' Ladies County Championship as captain of the Lancashire and North of England U18 team.{{Cite web |title=Sarah Beckett |url=https://www.ultimaterugby.com/sarah-beckett |website=ultimaterugby.com}}
As the only professional rugby player at Firwood, she moved to Harlequins Women in 2019 in a bid to help her retain professional standards.{{Cite web |title=Sarah Beckett on Harlequins, England and the World Cup |url=https://www.rugbyworld.com/in-the-mag/sarah-beckett-on-harlequins-england-and-the-world-cup-113373/amp |website=rugbyworld.com}}
Early life and education
Sarah has a twin sister called Kate who didn't play rugby until she attended Leicester University. Their older brother Charlie Beckett is professional a rugby union player. Aged 8 Sarah tried to tackle her older brother but broke her arm.{{Cite web |title=Sarah and Charlie Beckett interview: 'She is a better rugby player than me - I can't say how proud I am' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2020/10/10/sarah-charlie-beckett-interview-better-rugby-player-cant-say/amp/ |website=telegraph.co.uk}} Her father, uncle and grandfather all played rugby for Waterloo.{{Cite news |last=Rowan |first=Kate |date=10 October 2020 |title=Sarah and Charlie Beckett interview: 'She is a better rugby player than me - I can't say how proud I am' |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2020/10/10/sarah-charlie-beckett-interview-better-rugby-player-cant-say/ |access-date=26 May 2021 |issn=0307-1235}}
Sarah attended Range High School in Formby, Merseyside, where former England and Waterloo captain Gill Burns was her head of house. She joined Waterloo RFC aged seven. Beckett completed the U20s trials twice for England and didn't make the squad but eventually made it after Matt Ferguson, the then England forwards coach, saw her playing for Firwood at age 18.{{Cite web |date=18 September 2020 |title=Sarah Beckett on Harlequins, England and the World Cup |url=https://www.rugbyworld.com/in-the-mag/sarah-beckett-on-harlequins-england-and-the-world-cup-113373 |access-date=26 May 2021 |website=Rugby World}}
After a gap year spent teaching PE at primary schools, she went on to study international disaster management at university but left after ten weeks as her rugby training for England interfered with her studies. She also plays guitar.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.englandrugby.com/follow/red-roses/england-women/sarah-beckett Sarah Beckett] at England Rugby
- [https://www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/teams/women/player/sarah-beckett Sarah Beckett] at Gloucester-Hartpury
- {{sports links}}
- {{Instagram}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beckett, Sarah}}
Category:England women's international rugby union players
Category:English female rugby union players
Category:Rugby union players from Liverpool
Category:21st-century English women
Category:Gloucester-Hartpury Women players
Category:Rugby union number eights