Danielle Waterman

Danielle Waterman is a World Cup-winning England rugby player, Team GB Olympian, and leading voice in women's rugby development. Over 15 years at elite level, she earned 82 international caps, scored 47 tries, and made history as the only player to compete in four Rugby World Cups and the Olympic Games, captaining teams and overcoming career-threatening injuries. Now a respected commentator for Sky Sports and the BBC, she champions the growth of women's rugby, recently supporting the historic Howden Lions Women's Tour to New Zealand in 2027. Audiences gain powerful insights into high performance, resilience, and leadership through her authentic experiences of breakthrough success at the highest level.

When Danielle Waterman made her full England debut in 2003 at just 18 years old, she became the youngest player at the time to be capped whilst studying her A Levels, launching a career that would span 15 years at the elite level and redefine what was possible in women's rugby. Earning 82 international caps and scoring 47 tries across both fifteens and sevens formats, she achieved a milestone no other player in the world has matched: competing in four Rugby World Cups and the Olympic Games. Her journey from one of the few girls playing mini rugby at Minehead Barbarians to World Cup winner in 2014, where she scored a try in the final against Canada, exemplifies both her exceptional talent and the transformative growth of the women's game. Rugby runs deep in her family; her father Jim is a Bath Rugby legend with over 400 appearances, and her brothers both played county level rugby for Somerset.

Waterman's credentials extend across every dimension of elite rugby performance. She captained England A at just 17, won the Europeans with England Sevens at 19, and returned from career-threatening injuries to represent Team GB at the 2016 Rio Olympics, helping the squad reach fourth place. Her resilience through two World Cup silver medals in 2006 and 2010 before claiming gold in 2014 demonstrates the persistence required to succeed at the highest level. Recognised with nominations for World Player of the Year and IRPA Try of the Year, she also received the BBC Sports Personality Team of the Year award and was named Women's Players' Player of the Year. Since retiring from international rugby in 2018 as England's longest-serving player, she has become a respected voice in the sport, providing expert analysis and commentary for Sky Sports and the BBC whilst championing the development of women's rugby globally.

Today, Waterman's influence extends beyond the pitch as she supports the historic Howden Lions Women's Tour to New Zealand in 2027, the first ever women's Lions tour after 139 years of men's tours. Her speaking engagements draw on authentic experiences of building high-performing teams, overcoming setbacks, and leading through periods of significant change. Audiences gain practical strategies for resilience, leadership under pressure, and creating cultures where individuals can thrive, all grounded in the realities of competing at World Cups and Olympic Games. Whether addressing corporate teams navigating transformation or organisations seeking to unlock potential, she delivers insights that translate directly from elite sport to workplace performance, inspiring lasting change through the power of her journey and the clarity of her message.