Hannah Botterman is set to make her long-awaited England comeback this weekend, just over two months after announcing her engagement to Wales international Georgia Evans.
The Red Roses prop has been named among the replacements for Saturday’s WXV Global Series opener against Australia at the CorpAcq Stadium in Salford.
It will be Botterman’s first England appearance since the 2025 Rugby World Cup final, having endured a lengthy spell on the sidelines with an ankle injury.
Her fiancée Evans marked the milestone with a touching message on social media following the work Botterman has put into her recovery.
Sharing a picture of the couple together, the Wales international wrote on her Instagram story:
“Many a running and rehab session later, can’t wait to finally see you back where you belong.”
Engaged
Botterman and Evans announced their engagement at the beginning of July, having previously made their relationship public.
The pair were actually rivals on the international stage at last year’s World Cup, with Botterman part of the England squad that went all the way and lifted the trophy on home soil.
Now the 27-year-old loosehead is finally ready to pull on an England shirt again.
Botterman is one of several World Cup winners returning from injury for John Mitchell’s side, alongside Tatyana Heard, Natasha Hunt and Morwenna Talling.
She has been handed the No.17 shirt against the Wallaroos, with Mackenzie Carson starting at loosehead and Sarah Bern on the other side of the scrum.
England head into the new WXV Global Series on a remarkable 38-match winning streak and will face Australia before taking on Canada and New Zealand later this month.
Saturday’s clash kicks off at 3pm in Salford, with Botterman now poised to complete an emotional return after months of rehabilitation.
Botterman and Evans aren't the only high-profile rugby couple connected to the Red Roses. A number of England's biggest names have partners with their own impressive sporting careers, including World Cup winners, Olympians and coaches.
Marlie Packer & Rosie Galligan
England stars Marlie Packer and Rosie Galligan announced their engagement in 2025, with their relationship bringing together two members of the Red Roses' World Cup-winning squad.
Packer has been one of the defining England players of her generation, winning more than 100 caps and captaining her country, while second-row Galligan completed a remarkable journey back to the top of the sport after previously suffering a serious ankle injury and overcoming meningitis.
The couple announced another major piece of news in 2026, revealing that Galligan was pregnant with their first child together. The baby is due in October, while Packer already has a son, Oliver, with former partner Natasha.
Claudia MacDonald & Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald
England star Claudia MacDonald and Ireland international Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald have one of the most fascinating relationships in Test rugby.
The pair met through rugby at Exeter Chiefs and married in the summer of 2025, with both continuing their international careers on opposite sides of the Irish Sea.
That created an unusual situation during the 2026 Women's Six Nations when they prepared to face each other at Test level for the first time. MacDonald was representing England while hooker Moloney-MacDonald was lining up for Ireland, meaning married life briefly had to take a back seat to international rivalry.
Meg Jones & Celia Quansah
Meg Jones and Celia Quansah have been together for several years after first meeting while studying at Loughborough University.
Their relationship developed from friendship while both were building elite sporting careers. Jones went on to represent England in both sevens and XVs, while Quansah became a major figure in the British sevens programme and represented Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics.
Quansah later stepped away from professional rugby, while Jones established herself as one of the Red Roses' most influential backs and was part of England's triumphant 2025 World Cup campaign.
The couple have regularly shared glimpses of their life together away from rugby, with Quansah among Jones' biggest supporters throughout her England career.
Zoe Aldcroft & Luke Stratford
World Cup-winning captain Zoe Aldcroft married rugby coach Luke Stratford in the summer of 2024 after the pair had been together for several years.
Stratford has built his own career within the game and works as a scrum coach, meaning rugby remains a significant part of life for both of them away from the international stage.
Aldcroft subsequently led England to World Cup glory at Twickenham in 2025, cementing her place among the leading figures in the women's game.
The couple then revealed another major milestone in 2026, announcing that they were expecting their first child. The pregnancy meant Aldcroft was unavailable for England's Six Nations campaign after an extraordinary period that had seen her captain her country to a home World Cup triumph.
Holly Aitchison & Rich Lane
England playmaker Holly Aitchison is dating fellow Bristol Bears player Rich Lane, giving the Red Roses another relationship with strong club-rugby connections.
The pair appeared to make their relationship public on social media, with Aitchison's teammates having some fun in the comments about the couple's apparent "soft launch".
Lane has been a regular performer for Bristol's men's side after initially joining the club from Bedford Blues, while Aitchison has established herself as a key figure for both Bristol and England.
There's particularly good timing for this piece, too. Aitchison is set to win her 50th England cap against Australia this weekend, on the same afternoon that former partner Botterman is poised to make her long-awaited international comeback.
