Georgia Evans praises rugby support for motherhood planning with Hannah Botterman

Wales forward Georgia Evans has praised the support available to her and England international Hannah Botterman as they begin planning a family while continuing their rugby careers. In an interview published by BBC Sport Wales on Sunday, Evans said the backing of both national-team environments was helping them consider motherhood alongside elite sport.

Evans said the couple had begun exploring what would be needed to start a family, describing the process as more involved than they had expected. BBC Sport Wales reported that Botterman had discussed attending preliminary scans on The Good, The Scaz & The Rugby podcast. Their comments concerned planning for the future; neither announced a pregnancy in the report.

The 29-year-old highlighted the attitude of England head coach John Mitchell and Wales head coach Sean Lynn. She said both were supportive of families, pointing to the presence of baby Ralphie in the Wales environment. Fellow Wales players Alisha and Jaz Joyce welcomed their son in November, providing an example within the squad of parenthood alongside international rugby.

For Evans, that support gives players room to think about a stage of life that can overlap with their playing years or follow retirement. She told the BBC that a rugby career occupies only a limited part of an athlete's life and welcomed the opportunity to plan for motherhood without treating it as separate from the sport.

The discussion comes during a year in which Evans won the Premiership Women's Rugby title with Saracens and became engaged to Botterman. Although they represent opposing clubs and countries, Evans said their shared understanding of training, injuries and rehabilitation helped their relationship. She was in Salford on Saturday to watch Botterman's return in England's victory over Australia.

Evans also described a change in her own outlook compared with the previous year, when Wales exited the World Cup and she faced online abuse about her appearance. The rugby community rallied around her, with her pink ribbon becoming a symbol of support during the tournament, the BBC reported.

She now says interests and commitments away from rugby have helped ease the pressure she places on herself. Evans credited the Wales coaches with giving her freedom on the field and said feeling happier was helping her play more freely.