England’s Vickii Cornborough has announced her retirement from international rugby, saying she does not feel mentally ready to return after giving birth to twins last summer.
The 34-year-old Harlequins prop made her England debut in 2015 and went on to win 75 caps, six Six nations titles and reached two World Cup finals.
In her role as vice-chair of the Rugby Players’ Association she was instrumental in the creation of the Rugby Football Union’s updated maternity policy, which was introduced last year.
Cornborough told BBC Sport: “I’m probably the strongest I’ve ever been but I’m just not there yet mentally because having twins is really hard.
“Living off a couple of hours of sleep a night is not conducive to a high-performance pressure environment.
“Stepping away from the Red Roses and announcing my retirement is the right thing for me to do.”
She added: “It’s a big weight off my shoulders to finally admit it to myself and say I’m ready (to retire).
“It’s a life-changing decision. It’s something I’m excited but nervous about because England has been my life for the last 10 years.”
