Four Rugby World Cup Winning Red Roses Alumnae Awarded Honorary Doctorates by St Mary's

Four 2025 Rugby World Cup winners have been awarded Honorary Doctorates in a ceremony at their alma mater St Mary’s University, London on 5th November.

Alumnae of St Mary’s Jess Breach, Abi Burton, Rosie Galligan, and Ellie Kildunne were awarded Honorary Doctorates in Sport in recognition of their significant contributions to English Rugby.

All four played key roles in this year’s unbeaten Rugby World Cup and Six Nations campaigns, which has seen them become global ambassadors for women’s sport and inspirations to future generations.

Speaking of the awards, St Mary’s Vice-Chancellor Prof Anthony McClaran said, “I am delighted that we have been able to make these awards to our extraordinary alumnae. The whole University community came together earlier in the autumn to cheer them on, and we were all proud to see their achievements on the world stage.

“Honorary Doctorates are awarded to individuals who have lived our values and made significant contributions to the University or society. Their contributions to national sport will be an inspiration to generations of rugby players and athletes for many years to come and will raise the profile of the women’s game.”

The awards were made following the inaugural Remembrance Trophy matches, with St Mary’s playing at home against the Royal Artillery rugby teams. The matches form part of the University’s 175^th Anniversary celebrations and mark the start of a long-term relationship between the two organisation’s rugby teams.

Located a stone’s throw from the home of rugby in Twickenham, St Mary’s has a proud history of elite rugby. In recent years alumni have won Rugby World Cups, Six Nations, and Olympic Medals, with students and alumni representing their nations at the previous three Games, alongside countless personal and club achievements.

The university home of elite sport in London, St Mary's facilities are also known for their world-class quality, with international teams regularly basing themselves at the London campus when in the UK. In recent years, St Mary’s has welcomed New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Fiji to use the University as a Team Base ahead of international Rugby Union fixtures. Most recently the Australian Rugby League team used St Mary’s for their preparations ahead of their Ashes fixture against England in Wembley Stadium.