Erin King: 'I want to be better than I was before'

Michael Bolton

World Breakthrough Player of the Year, helping Ireland to World Cup qualification, 2024 was the year of Erin King.

The 22-year-old took the rugby world by storm as she became a key part of the Ireland side, who turned their fortunes around under Scott Bemand.

However, disaster struck during the Six Nations in April, as a knee injury ruled King out of the World Cup.

As her teammates were in action in England, King admitted it was difficult to watch from the outside, but was proud to present her Ireland teammates their jerseys for the quarter-final against France with fellow injured player Dorothy Wall.

"When we got asked to do it, it was a great honour. To get to present the girls with their jersey for a World Cup quarter-final is something I never thought they would get us to do.

"It was really emotional, there were a lot of tears, and we really just spoke from the heart. The energy in the room, you could see on the pitch, how badly the girls wanted it.

"The team kept us really connected and really involved. It was one of the best experiences I ever had and a day I will never forget."

At this point in her recovery, King can now see the end of the tunnel.

After some difficult days, a February return is now in the cards, in plenty of time for the Six Nations.

"Things are going really well. The first few months were slow and a little bit uncertain at times.

"I am finally back running and looking ahead to being back on the pitch for February. Definitely back for the Six Nations, which is really exciting, and I can really start focusing my head for rugby.

"It was really, really tough to take. Missing the World Cup was a big one, but rehab has been a different thing; I have experienced different things in life.

"There have been some dark days, but at the same time, I am becoming better at different aspects of my game and doing things outside of rugby.

I want to be better than I was before. I have had time to focus on myself. When things were going so quickly, I went from the Olympics, straight to 15s, straight to Six Nations.

"I didn't have time to sit back and reflect, and now it has given me a whole new perspective on how lucky I am.

"It has been an up and down rollercoaster of emotions, but I am sure I will look back in a few years' time and be really thankful for having gone through this experience, coming out of it a better person and a better player."

The World Cup brought record audiences and new eyes to women's rugby, and King hopes the momentum from the tournament can be brought into the 2026 Six Nations.

The Ireland back-row also looks to Canada, getting to the final as a template Ireland can follow.

"It is really exciting that we are playing in big stadiums, we have our game against England in Allianz stadium and it has sold over 30,00 tickets, that is incredible when it is so far away.

"It is just now that can we get the crowds out and create that atmosphere that they do for the men's game. Our game is only going from strength to strength; some of those World Cup games were so entertaining.

"Canada really optimised women's rugby. We don't always get the funding the men's game does. If you have a group of girls with one common goal, they can show you what they can do.

"That semi-final against New Zealand was incredible. The fact that most of those girls aren't professional rugby players is crazy.

"Imagine if they were professional rugby players. That story of that team shows just how great the game is and going in such a great direction."