Abi Burton dreaming big after finding her feet again

Abi Burton’s rugby journey has been like no other but the Trailfinders Women back row is determined to continue reaching even greater heights and has her sights set on England's World Cup squad.

Burton has experienced true lows, spending 25 days in a coma due to a rare autoimmune disorder following the high of representing Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics.

But the 24-year-old has fought back to produce some of the best rugby of her career in West London, with a hat-trick of tries helping Burton scoop PWR Player of the Week as Trailfinders got past Sale Sharks.

And the Yorkshire native revealed she has even bigger goals on her mind after finding her feet again on the rugby pitch.

“My aim is to be a Red Rose,” Burton said, speaking after Ealing’s 22-41 loss to unbeaten Exeter Chiefs.

“I want to get capped for the 15s, and put myself in a position to be selected for the World Cup next year. That's the aim.

“If I don't get it this time, it'll be the aim for however many years it takes me.” Burton is no stranger to the Red Rose, having represented England in the sevens game since she was a teenager.

But the rapid progress of her career was stalled when she began to experience seizures, memory loss, and severe mood swings. Doctors were yet to diagnose her with encephalitis, a condition that caused her immune system to attack the brain, causing inflammation.

Burton had to relearn to walk and talk but having battled through the lows, she now feels better equipped to reach the heights she is aiming for.

“When you hit rock bottom, the only way is up from there,” she added.

“The fact that I can stand here now and play rugby instead of being in a hospital bed is pretty special to me.

“Before, rugby was everything but now, I play rugby for the enjoyment of it, not because it's a pressure in my life anymore. I'm really happy with my last couple of performances.

“The PWR is brilliantly competitive right now. Having come from the sevens circuit, to 15s, I wouldn't rather be anywhere else.”

While Burton had plenty of learning to do in her recovery process, her natural ability on the rugby pitch has returned like it never went away.

Burton has been a key part of Trailfinders’ successes this season, with the London side targeting a push for the top four in the New Year.

The back row produced a standout showing against Sharks to be named Player of the Week, beating six defenders, making 20 tackles and carrying 18 times to go with her three tries.

A 41-22 defeat to leaders Exeter Chiefs was a sign that there is still work to do for Trailfinders, but Burton was pleased with the way her side battled to the end to earn a losing bonus point at the death.

“To get that reward at the last minute is really, really good,” she added. “We showed we can compete at the very top, and we've got to go into every game thinking that we're going to win. 

“Top four is always in our mind, but we've got to build on that performance.”

More strong performances with Trailfinders can only bolster Burton’s dreams of running out for the Red Roses, but the 24-year-old is proud of her rugby journey regardless of where it ends up.

“If I think back to being in a hospital bed three years ago, to now being able to live my life fully, I just think about everything that my family sacrificed during that time,” she said.

“They kept pushing me to keep going forward, and I'm really proud of myself for being able to do that.”