Centre Heard has been a Red Roses player since making her debut in 2018. The 29-year-old from North Yorkshire says she has noticed changes across the entire game in a short space of time.
"One of the biggest is how many partners are coming on board with our game and supporting us," says Heard. "We have so many great opportunities as a squad that we perhaps wouldn’t have had five or ten years ago as there is more investment now. It’s background things that people [outside of the squad] wouldn’t notice: we have more staff, better access to nutrition, we get better facilities. Those things make a huge difference to us.
"It comes down to funding, and the increased investment and support allow us to be at our best and find out what our best is. Having the infrastructure around us helps us get the little one percenters."
Still, the Gloucester-Hartpury player insists there is plenty of room to take things up another level. "The world is our oyster in women’s rugby, there is so much going on and so much growth. With the World Cup next year, everyone is already saying it’s going to be the biggest in women’s rugby yet. There is so much potential within the women’s game, we will just have to wait and see, but it’s really exciting!"
For front rower Maud Muir, 23, who was named in this year's Fans' Team of the Championship and is also a teammate of Heard's at Gloucester-Hartpury, she hopes a 2025 including a home Rugby World Cup will be a game-changer. "It will hopefully make it more accessible to women and girls: they should be able to pop to their local club and watch games, and be inspired," says Muir. "It’s really exciting that [the Rugby World Cup] is being played in England. Even my school friends who have nothing to do with rugby, them being able to come and watch is super exciting. Growing the game in that area, with not just people who want to play, but also people who just want to support us."
Heard believes a blueprint for what can be achieved in women's rugby has already been set in another sport. "We saw how the Lionesses did and how much they impacted the whole country. There is potential for us to do that just by being role models and supporting the grassroots game and inspiring the next generation.
"Allowing us to be seen is the biggest part of that. When people know the Rugby World Cup is happening and they can go and watch a Red Roses game, that’s the most exciting thing. For fans, it’s having those opportunities and having access to that. A huge thing for me is having games in the north of England. You don’t get that opportunity loads.
"When I was growing up you couldn’t go and watch many sports that women were playing, so I think it’s really cool that there are games in the likes of Sunderland and York, and giving people access to the games so they can invest in them."
It's not just teams that are acting as a force for good in the women's game. USA Sevens player and social media sensation Ilona Maher has shone a spotlight on the game through sheer force of personality, and will soon feature on Dancing with the Stars.
"Illona Maher has done great things for the sport and it’s definitely a step in the right direction," says Muir, who says the publicity for an individual can only help grow the status of the game accordingly. "Social media is so important nowadays. That is what we should target as it’s a way to attract new audiences and engage more people."
England v France at Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester, kicks off at 14:30 BST this Saturday 7th September, and will be live on BBC One.
