England's World Cup-winning captain Zoe Stratford has announced the birth of her first child. Stratford, 29, gave birth to a baby girl on Wednesday, though the baby is currently nameless.
Stratford, who captained England to victory over Canada in the World Cup final in September 2025, joined Sale Sharks this summer from Gloucester-Hartpury. She was a key player in Gloucester-Hartpury's rise to dominance in women's domestic rugby, co-captaining them to three consecutive Premiership Women's Rugby titles.
Sale Sharks shared their excitement on an Instagram post by Stratford's husband, Luke, commenting: "The most amazing news!" Stratford was also named World Player of the Year in 2021.