England captain Zoe Aldcroft and husband Luke Stratford have welcomed their first baby — with Red Roses teammates racing to send their congratulations.
Stratford announced the arrival of their daughter on Instagram after the birth at Macclesfield Hospital.
He wrote: “The most amazing event of my life, this morning we welcomed our little baby girl into the world.”
In a lovely message for Aldcroft and their newborn, he added that both were “so amazing” and joked: “Little baby, I hope you’re ready for the chaos that is coming your way.”
The couple have not yet revealed their daughter’s name.
Red Roses reaction
The news prompted an immediate reaction from Aldcroft’s England teammates.
Former Red Roses forward Abbie Ward wrote: “The best news! Can’t wait to get the crew together!”
England prop Hannah Botterman added: “Yayyyyyy,” while the Red Roses official account simply said: “Congratulations!”
Aldcroft’s Gloucester-Hartpury teammate Lark Davies was also among those to comment, writing: “So happy for you both and another girl to add to the gang.”
The messages continued to pour in from across rugby. Sale Sharks Women posted “Baby Shark”, while Wales international Bethan Lewis called the new parents an “absolute dream team”.
Aldcroft has become one of the biggest names in women’s rugby, having captained England and helped the Red Roses to World Cup success. She remains a key figure for Gloucester-Hartpury, too.
But this is a special moment away from the game for the 29-year-old and her husband.
Congratulations to Zoe, Luke and their new baby girl.
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Five quirky Zoe Aldcroft facts
Away from the congratulations, here are five things you might not know about England’s captain.
Her lucky charm is a Jonny Wilkinson doll
Zoe Aldcroft carries a knitted Jonny Wilkinson doll in her kit bag for every game. It is dressed in Toulon colours, has never been washed, and sits alongside her boots and “smelly socks.”
She started out as a ballet dancer
Before rugby took over, Zoe did ballet and dance. She was initially nervous about tackling because she had never played a contact sport.
Her first tackle went badly wrong
In one of her first matches, young Zoe dropped to her knees to tackle an opponent — a habit picked up from early coaching drills. Her teammates quickly told her she needed to stay on her feet.
She played with boys until she was 12
Zoe Aldcroft began at Scarborough RUFC, where her dad and brother played. At 12, she could no longer continue in the boys’ age group and moved to West Park Leeds.
She once wanted a career in foot health
Away from rugby, Zoe Aldcroft studied Sport and Exercise Science at Hartpury and has spoken about becoming a foot-health practitioner after her playing career.
