England U20 star Millie David is setting her sights on a fairytale 2029 Women's Rugby World Cup in Australia as she looks to reach the pinnacle of her sport in her father’s homeland.
Wokingham's David, 19, is one of England’s most promising talents, having impressed in the inaugural Six Nations Women's Summer Series in Parma and has been singled out by charity SportsAid as an athlete with the potential to reach the very top.
With a taste of how it feels to represent her country, she cannot wait to thrive at senior level and is already eyeing up a seat on the plane bound for Australia come 2029, eager to perform on the shores of the man who sparked a familial love for rugby.
“I did tag rugby in primary school because of my dad and then when I started secondary school, he convinced me to join a proper club,” she said. “I've got two brothers that also played when they were in school.
“My dad never actually played, but he's from Australia and he used to play Aussie rules when he lived in Australia growing up.
“He never played rugby, but he was very into it. And when my brothers played as well, he just got more and more into it.
“I’ve set a marker for the 2029 World Cup because it’s in Australia and my dad’s from Australia.”
David is also eager to achieve success at club level, with the prodigy winger hoping to build on an encouraging PWR season with more minutes at Bristol Bears next season.
Having been part of the history-making squad that reached a first ever league final for the club last term - both for the men’s and women’s sides - David is desperate to become a regular fixture at Shaftesbury Park as the team looks to go one better than runners up in 2024/25.
“The year just gone was very much like a transition season for me, going into senior rugby and learning off of some of the more experienced players,” she said. “I made my debut at the end of last year which was such a great experience.
“Whereas this year, now that I've had a year of getting used to it and being with older people, hopefully this year I can get a little bit more game time, gain some confidence and come into my own.
“It was really cool to be part of that team that got there. They've worked so hard all season, so hopefully this year we can go one further. I think we definitely can.”
David is one of 50 athletes supported by Pitching In as part of its long-standing partnership with SportsAid, providing crucial financial support as well as offering development opportunities through workshops and visits.
The typical value of a SportsAid award is £1,000 with money generated through a combination of commercial partnerships, trust and charitable funds, and fundraising activities.
And while this grant has been immensely valuable to David in funding his progression, it’s what she’s learnt on the mentality side of things that stands out to her - discovering how to live the life of an elite athlete.
“There's just so many resources that are so helpful, like all the talks we've had so far on nutrition and just hearing from other athletes that have gone through similar journeys,” she said.
“It's just nice to hear from people my age that have gone through similar things that I have.
“Learning about all the different aspects of it, like not just the game itself, but all about sleep, nutrition and all the other aspects that make it professional.”
Entain, owner of Ladbrokes and Coral, is proud to be championing the next generation of British sporting heroes by providing talented young athletes with financial support and personal development opportunities in partnership with SportsAid. Visit entaingroup.com to find out more
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