Danielle Waterman

Danielle Waterman is a retired professional rugby player and current rugby commentator, known for her decorated career with England and Great Britain. After becoming England’s youngest female Test player at age 18 in 2003, debuting against Ireland, Danielle Waterman embarked on a decorated rugby career. Having been selected for the England Senior Academy at 15, Waterman quickly established herself as a formidable talent, earning the award for England’s Most Promising Player in 2006. Her early career highlights include securing silver medals at both the 2006 and 2010 Women’s Rugby World Cups, showcasing her consistent performance at the highest level of international competition.

Waterman continued to achieve significant milestones, serving as vice-captain when England secured the 2012 Women’s European Championship. A crowning achievement came in 2014 when she played a pivotal role in England’s triumph at the Women’s Rugby World Cup, scoring a crucial try in the final match against Canada to claim the World Champion title. This success led to her being recognized as Gloucestershire’s Professional Sports Personality of 2014, with the English team also receiving the esteemed BBC Sports Personality Team of the Year Award. In 2014, she signed a professional contract with England 7s, specifically to prepare for the 2016 Summer Olympics, making a resilient return from a knee injury and a broken cheekbone in April 2016 at the Canada Women’s Sevens, where she was named to the tournament’s dream team.

She joined ITV as the first female rugby commentator for the 2019 Rugby World Cup and continued this pioneering role for the 2020 Six Nations Championship, providing expert analysis and insight. Beyond live broadcasts, Waterman co-hosts the ‘Try Hards Podcast,’ dedicated to women’s rugby, and was prominently featured in the 2021 documentary ‘Finding Her Voice,’ further solidifying her influence as a leading figure in the sport.