She's usually the one asking the questions. This time, we put That Rugby Girl in the hot seat.
From Being Bullied to Helping Other Girls
Frankie started playing rugby at just five years old. After watching her dad play she decided this was the game for her. But after being bullied at primary school for playing the game she loved, she and her dad found a way to turn that experience into something positive — creating content to help other girls feel less alone. Now, Frankie is sharing the stories of women’s rugby, meeting people across the game and inspiring the next generation.
The idea behind That Rugby Girl grew out of an experience no young player should have to face.
Frankie was bullied by boys and girls in her class because she played rugby. When a non-school-uniform day came around, she really wanted to wear a rugby shirt, but told her dad she couldn't because she was worried about being mocked and treated badly.
Her dad took to social media to vent his frustration, and the response from the women's rugby community was incredible. Frankie received hundreds of messages, including from international players and some of the players she loved watching.
She went to school in her rugby shirt. It wasn't an easy experience, but she knew she had the women's rugby community behind her. The messages also revealed how many other families were facing the same problem, with parents getting in touch to say their daughters had experienced similar bullying.
Frankie asked her dad if they could start recording content to help other girls like her, so that others wouldn't have to feel the way she had. And from there, That Rugby Girl took off.
The name came later, after someone approached Frankie at a Harlequins Women's game. Having seen her on Instagram, they asked, "Aren't you that rugby girl from Insta?" Her dad loved it, and the name stuck. Before that, the account had been called Frankie's Rugby Journey.
More Than Just Matchday
For Frankie and her dad, rugby matchdays are rarely straightforward. Their mornings often begin with coaching for Little Scrummers, working with children aged 18 months to six years — something Frankie absolutely loves and never wants to miss.
Then comes a quick change in the car park before setting off for the game. With the nearest PWR stadium at least an hour and a half away, the journey is part of the day too. There's usually a good singalong, alongside conversations about the content they'll create.
Once they arrive, Frankie is keen to get around the stadium, talk to people and film as much as possible, capturing the atmosphere so others can see and hear what women's rugby is really like. Her dad usually has his camera out taking photographs of the match, while also helping to organise post-match interviews.
Before match day, Mark tries to arrange one or two post-match interviews with players, so Frankie has an idea of who she'll be speaking to after the game, although sometimes an opportunity comes up to speak to someone they meet on the day. Frankie is clear that it has to be on the player's terms. After a long, hard game, not everyone wants to be interviewed, and that's absolutely fine. They always ask permission before getting the camera out.
That respect for the people behind the game is part of what makes the experience special. For Frankie, it's not simply about filming rugby; it's about talking to people and hearing their stories.
A Community That Feels Like Family
Frankie loves meeting people who share her passion for rugby. Women's rugby, she says, is full of interesting people with incredible stories, and she never tires of hearing them.
Through her content, she's connected with players, coaches, fans and children. She feels she knows the people who follow her, engage with her content and share her posts, even if they've never met in person. So when they finally bump into one another, it can feel like meeting a lifelong friend.
It's also why the little things matter. Frankie likes wearing gifts people have given her to matches, whether that's a bracelet, a scrunchie or something else special. She also tries to wear something connected to the home team that has accredited her, although she admits she only has bits from a few teams.
And then there's The Stoop. Frankie tries to remain unbiased, but Harlequins Women are her team, and their home ground is her favourite stadium. She loves how open it feels while still being homely.
When someone approaches her to say they follow her and love her content, it always makes her smile. But what means most is hearing that something she's shared has really connected with someone or helped them. That's why she started in the first place.
The Change Frankie Wants to See
For all the progress women's and girls' rugby has made, Frankie believes there is still an important gap at school level.
She feels many schools overlook the interest girls might have in rugby. Too often, she says, schools don't even consider setting up a girls' team because they assume nobody will be interested — without asking the girls themselves.
It's an issue she wants to help change. Looking ahead, Frankie would love to speak to the people she needs to reach within the Department for Education and push for a requirement that schools offering boys' rugby should also offer girls the chance to play. That could begin with mixed-age teams and training sessions until there are enough players to grow further.
Her own school was among those offering boys' rugby without giving girls the same opportunity. For Frankie, that isn't fair, and it shouldn't be allowed.
Her determination to make things better for the next generation brings her story back to where it began: a young girl who loved rugby, but found herself facing bullying because of it. Now she's using her platform to help other girls feel supported and to encourage more people to recognise the place girls belong in the game.
Moments to Remember — and Dreams Still to Come
Frankie has already experienced moments she knows she'll never forget. Being at Twickenham for the Women's Rugby World Cup Final, watching England and being part of a record-breaking crowd, gave her goosebumps she says she'll remember forever.
But she also has a wish to travel back in time. If she could watch any match in history from the touchline, she'd choose the first Women's Rugby World Cup Final in 1991. Being there for the first-ever final would be amazing, she says — especially to compare it with the most recent final and see just how far the game has come.
Or perhaps she'd choose to travel in the other direction. The first Women's British and Irish Lions tour game against the Black Ferns in 2027 is another occasion she'd love to witness.
For now, though, there's plenty more rugby to enjoy, more people to meet and more stories to share.
And if Frankie ever finds herself heading to a desert island, her packing list is already sorted: a rugby ball to keep up her training, a pump in case it goes flat, and — naturally — her dad, because someone will need to keep filming content for her.
It's a fitting answer from someone whose rugby journey has become about so much more than the game itself: helping girls feel less alone, celebrating the people who make women's rugby special, and encouraging the next generation to get involved.
“Frankie, XV Style salutes you — for turning a difficult experience into something positive, for standing up for the next generation, and for helping make women’s rugby a place where every girl feels she belongs.”
WITH THANKS TO
Frankie (and Mark)
You can follow Frankie here:
Instagram: @ThatRugbyGirll
TikTok: @thatrugbygirll
YouTube: @ThatRugbyGirll
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