EXETER Chiefs' freescoring prop Hope Rogers has reversed her decision to retire after the forthcoming World Cup and hopes to play in England's showpiece event in four years' time.
The USA international was delighted when World Rugby announced last month that the 2025 World Cup will be held in England – and the 29-yearold hopes to still be representing her country on the big stage.
“England hosting the next World Cup will be huge because of how big it is here and the quality of play in the Premier 15s,”
Rogers said. “I was thinking of retirement after this World Cup but I think I might try to stick around for another one if I can make it.”
The 29-cap international moved to Exeter this season from USA side Life West and has taken to English rugby like a duck to water, scoring 12 tries from prop and guiding her side to second in the table and a place in the play-off final.
Exeter have come a long way in recent years, finishing their first campaign in the top-flight last season in sixth and Rogers is delighted to have played a part in the club's rise.
She added: “I'm extremely honoured and feel very blessed to be a part of the club. When I came over here, I really wanted to be a part of the Chiefs because I could tell something special was happening and I wanted to be a part of it.
There's an immense feeling of honour and gratitude just to be here and to be a part of what we're doing as a club.”
Rogers has been one of the best players in the league this season but credits her teammates and Exeter's coaching staff for how much she has improved.
“We play such a team sport,” she adds. “I think what's so special about us, is we are a team and we don't necessarily rely on individual players as much, we function really well as a collective. So, a lot of my tries came from team tries and wasn't anything special that I did. I was just in the right spot at the right time.
“It's hard for me as I'm quite a perfectionist, so I always find all the ways I can get better and grow. I'm really happy with is my improvement as a forward and a prop in the set-piece.
Our coach Steve (Sallin) is one of the best I've ever had and I think I've learnt so much from him around the detail of the scrum, line out and the maul. It's added a better element to my game.”
Exeter's squad possesses no fewer than 11 North American players and while Rogers enjoys the relationship she has with her American and Canadian teammates, she also also revels in the overall togetherness of the squad.
She said: “There is a special bond between us North Americans. Canada have traditionally been America's rivals, but it's been amazing to build some friendships. Some of my closest friends are the Canadians now and I think that'll make it a bit extra fun when we play them internationally. We're a close-knit team and that helps us on the field.”
World Rugby also released that both the 2031 Men's and 2033 Women's World Cups will be held in the US and Rogers believes that will enhance the growth of the sport in the biggest sporting market in the world.
“We're really trying to push the growth of the game in the country, it's not quite there yet which is why you see so many North Americans in the Premier 15s currently,” Rogers continued. “But there's a huge effort to continue the growth of the sport in the States and to have a World Cup is a huge honour and will only promote the sport even more in our country.
“American football is huge in the US and the support and funding that goes into that is massive. How America gets behind their sports is huge. I hope rugby starts to take off, you can already kind of see it with rugby sevens as it's an Olympic sport, so they get more funding.
“I think the MLR (Major League Rugby) for the men is starting to take off and is providing a good structure there, so I'm hoping that translates over to the women's game. More people just need to watch.
“The women's game is really exciting; the hits are big, the pace is fast, and we are performing well. So, the more people that see that and hear about it, the more people will want to get behind it.”
