"Changing Perceptions" - England Rugby World Cup winner is a Victoria Secret Model

Sunday, 28 September 2025 at 19:47

byruckadmin

From crunching tackles to Instagram model, Rugby World Cup winner Holly Aitchison has left fans stunned — and inspired — after stepping into the limelight as a bikini model for none other than Victoria’s Secret.

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The 27-year-old Red Roses playmaker, set to be a key player during the Women's Rugby World Cup for England, has been fronting Clinique’s game-changing #GameFace campaign — but now, she’s taken her confidence journey one step further with a sizzling swimwear debut for the global lingerie giant.

Earlier this week, Clinique upped the ante, announcing that their campaign — once solely focused on Aitchison — now features the entire Red Roses squad.

Clinique x Red Roses: More Than Just Skin Deep

In a powerful statement, Clinique said:

"With the Red Roses, that mission grows. Clinique is providing one-to-one skincare consultations with expert consultants, who are educated in partnership with dermatologists, resulting in personalised routines for players from skincare to makeup, all designed to help players feel confident, prepared and ready to perform at the highest level, empowering them to shine both on and off the pitch."

Aitchison is at the heart of the campaign, using her platform to promote body confidence and support grassroots girls’ rugby. But it’s her bikini shoot with Victoria’s Secret that’s really got people talking.

‘I Was Terrified to Be Seen Bare-Faced’

Aitchison has opened up with raw honesty about her struggles with self-esteem — and how her skin played a huge part in knocking her confidence early in her career.

“Over the years I’ve really struggled with my skin. I had blemishes everywhere – it had a massive hit on my confidence,” she revealed.

“I wouldn’t take media interviews after games, I would never be seen without makeup.

"You’d think I’m the most confident woman in the room,” she says, given her on-pitch role as fly half is “to boss people around, organise the game, tell them where to go

“When I moved away from home, at 16, I struggled to leave my room for six months, other than lectures and training. I had bad acne. I had a complex that I wasn’t pretty because of my skin.”

She used make-up as a mask: “I used to say, ‘I’m from Liverpool, doesn’t everyone wear a full face?’"

Rugby was her salvation. “On the pitch the anxiety went. Nothing else mattered. The noise disappeared, even in stadiums of thousands. When I’m playing it’s all within my control, I’m confident enough to know, I’ve got that.”

That was then. Fast-forward to now and she’s standing tall in swimwear, fronting the camera with pride and setting the standard for women and girls everywhere. From stepping past defenders to tearing down beauty norms, Aitchison is rewriting the playbook.

When Victoria’s Secret came calling after seeing her posts, “my jaw hit the floor”. Since then, she’s collaborated with L’Oréal and Clinique too. “I love that these feminine brands are coming in to work with women’s rugby and realising these two things can coexist. I love that we’re visible enough.”

Make-up, once a mask, is now pure joy. On TikTok she shares match-tested routines — Fenty foundation, Rhode blush, L’Oréal Lash Paradise and a setting spray she swears by. “The girlies love it. They want to know what I’m using and how it stays put.”

It’s also part of her prematch ritual. “I love to feel I’m getting ready for a match almost like a night out. There are cameras on us. With a man they only want to talk about their performance, but for us they’re going to talk about our image. I feel my best when I look my best.”

Beauty, Boots, and Bikinis

Clinique’s #GameFace campaign, backed by Aitchison, shines a spotlight on how sport can boost mental health and body image.

With a shocking 79% of teenage girls reporting low self-esteem, the campaign is investing £10,000 into each of four girls’ rugby clubs — funding kit, education, and travel to help build the game from the ground up.

And Holly? She’s proof that confidence can come from a killer pass, a glowing complexion — or a bold bikini photo shoot.

Rugby Hard, Glow Harder

By blending sporting grit with model glamour, Aitchison is breaking down stereotypes and showing young girls that they can be tough, talented, and totally themselves — whether they’re lining up a penalty kick or striking a pose under the sun.

From the Women's Rugby World Cup to the sands of a fashion set, Holly Aitchison is doing it all — and doing it her way.

Meet the partners cheering on England during Rugby World Cup final

Taking on a Rugby World Cup is no easy task—especially when it’s on your home turf, in front of the roars of England’s faithful. That’s the challenge the Red Roses are facing as they prepare for the World Cup final against Canada this weekend.

But while the spotlight shines on the pitch, there’s another source of strength driving these athletes forward: the unwavering support of their partners. Behind every scrum, sprint, and soaring victory, there’s a network of love, encouragement, and sacrifice.

So, before the final whistle blows, let’s meet the squad behind the squad—the partners who stand firmly in the Roses’ corner.

Ellie Kildunne & Cameron Sommerville-Bailey

Star fullback Ellie Kildunne has long been one of England’s most exciting rugby talents—and her personal life has drawn interest too. She has been in a relationship with Cameron Sommerville-Bailey, a director at Complete Renovations, with the pair previously attending the World Rugby Awards together in 2024.

Recently, fans have noticed fewer pictures of the couple on social media, sparking speculation about whether their relationship has shifted. While some whispers suggest a split, others believe they remain together but are simply keeping things more private as Ellie’s profile rises on the mainstream stage. Neither has commented publicly.

For now, Ellie seems fully focused on her rugby—lighting up the pitch with her trademark flair as she looks to play a starring role in England’s World Cup campaign.

Jess Breach & Archie White

There’s not much public detail about their relationship, but the headlines say it all: Jess Breach shares life with former Harlequins flanker Archie White, who created headlines by stepping away from the game last summer at just 27.

A bold pivot, and no doubt a steadying presence in Jess’s corner.

Abbie Ward & Dave Ward

One of rugby’s ultimate power couples, Abbie Ward tied the knot with former Harlequins hooker Dave Ward back in 2020. The pair first crossed paths at the Quins’ training ground in Guildford when Abbie had just joined the women’s side, and they’ve been inseparable ever since.

Rugby remains at the heart of their relationship. Dave, who previously coached Abbie at Bristol Bears Women, is now head coach at Ampthill & District. And the couple’s biggest victory to date? Welcoming daughter Hallie in July 2023.

Abbie’s comeback just 17 weeks later was nothing short of inspirational – a journey captured in the documentary Abbie Ward: A Bump in the Road.

As Abbie put it: “I think it is nice having someone who can relate to everything that is going on, the highs and the lows. I think it is quite unique to have your other half who completely gets all of that work life but all of the social parts of it as well.”

Claudia Moloney-MacDonald

Dynamic, versatile, unstoppable. Whether it’s directing play at scrum-half or flying down the wing, Claudia Moloney-MacDonald has the skills to shine. At Exeter Chiefs Women, she’s proved herself a game-changer; on the international stage she’s just as fierce.

A Six Nations Grand Slam winner in 2019 and a World Cup veteran from 2021, Moloney-MacDonald is back to bring pace, precision, and passion to the Red Roses’ latest campaign. Off the field, she shares the game with her wife, Irish international hooker Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald.

After a standout club career at Wasps and now Exeter, plus years of representing Ireland, Cliodhna brings her own power and leadership to the front row. Together, the Moloney-MacDonalds are making rugby history as one of the sport’s most exciting cross-border partnerships.

Marlie Packer & Rosie Galligan

Marlie Packer and Rosie Galligan are more than teammates—they're life teammates. The pair got engaged in June 2025 with Rosie sharing a dreamy lakeside proposal on Instagram: “The easiest yes in the world. Forever and always.”

Beyond the romance, their shared passion shines through. Rosie has spoken about the team’s rebirth under head coach John Mitchell: “We came off the back of a loss at the World Cup... since then we have had Mitch come in and we have had a regrowth as a Red Roses side... You look at a rose and how it has to die to come back alive again.”

In March 2025, Marlie and Rosie brought inspiration off the field too, visiting the Guernsey Girls’ Rugby Academy where they were “blown away” by the response and hoped to “inspire those girls to pick up a ball.”

Marlie, who is also mum to son Oliver from a previous relationship, often shares snapshots of their happy family life. Rosie and Oliver’s bond has quickly blossomed, making them one of rugby’s most loved-up couples.

Zoe Aldcroft & Luke Stratford

England’s captain heading into the World Cup, Zoe Aldcroft, has captured hearts both for her leadership on the pitch and her charm off it. She and Luke Stratford—now a women’s rugby coach—first locked eyes in Gloucester, where Luke made a bold first move: approaching her dressed in women’s clothes at a nightclub.

Their wedding came in June 2024 at Hackness Grange in Scarborough, and it was anything but ordinary. As Zoe recounted: Luke insisted on wearing shorts “even in minus conditions”, and she warned, “as soon as the wedding was done the tie was off and the flip-flops were on.”

Beyond the wardrobe quirks, Zoe’s rise is nothing short of inspiring. Named England captain in 2025, she heads into the Rugby World Cup being touted to lead a reshaping of women’s rugby, believing this tournament “has the potential to change women’s rugby for ever.”

Mackenzie Carson & Sarah “Scrum Queen” Bern

One’s a Canadian-born front-rower who’s already battled through three World Cups. The other’s an English powerhouse known for smashing defences. Together, Mackenzie Carson and Sarah Bern aren’t just teammates — they’re partners in every sense.

In 2025, Carson made the switch from Canada to England, joining Bern in the Red Roses’ pack. Now rugby’s fiercest duo will be side by side on the world stage, ready to deliver big hits, big carries, and a love story written in red and white.

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