TOP OF THE PROPS. Sarah Berns relishes the Six Nations

Red Roses and Bristol Bears icon Sarah Bern talks about the upcoming Six Nations, from her very first memory and how it’s grown, to names to look out for and why she’s absolutely loving her rugby right now.

Sarah Bern is, as always, smiling. The 28-year-old Bristol Bears prop and co-captain, Red Roses icon and scrummaging specialist can now say she’s a Rugby World Cup winner. And she will surely get her 80^th international cap for England during this year’s Six Nations tournament.

Before moving to Bristol, Bern spent one season just up the road at Gloucester Hartpury, but she is now one of the first names on the Bears teamsheet week in, week out in the PWR.

Crucially, ‘Berner’, as she is known, played alongside the US Eagles own icon, Ilona Maher (below, right) last season, and the American’s social media presence and influence soon rubbed off on her.

Newly confident in speaking out on all sorts of issues, from body image and eating disorders to neurodiversity, Sarah Bern is also refreshingly honest on how fast the women’s game has grown while she’s been both watching and now playing, starting with her very first Six Nations memory.

What’s your first memory of watching the Women’s Six Nations?

I remember when it was at Esher Rugby Club and there was probably five people in the stands, and two of them were me and my dad.

I remember that I was very young at the time.

I was just lucky Esher was my home team.

So I knew it was happening and went down to watch and support Alex Matthews who was an ex-teammate at London Irish.

So that was my first. Very muddy, very rainy.

I didn’t know anything about rugby at the time, but I just really enjoyed watching it.

So that’s my first memory.

And your favourite memory playing in the Six Nations?

My favourite… oh, there’s been so many.

I do really enjoy playing in Wales.

I love the crowd and the stadium there.

That’s a really good highlight.

But there’s so many.

I like playing France away, because the crowd can be so hostile and they always put a live band on.

So that’s always really fun to enjoy that environment.

I enjoy a bit about it each year.

I can’t pick out one huge, huge point.

I just love the whole tournament, and I love seeing people thrive.

What does it mean to you then, the Six Nations? It sounds like it’s quite important to you.

I think any international tournament is important.

This is the one that’s probably been the most traditional and long-standing.

Most of my caps have probably been in within the Six Nations and that’s what makes it special, as you know it’s going to be there next year.

I think the Six Nations over the last few years has done such an incredible job of creating hype around it.

Definitely when it moved away from being at the same time as the men’s, we really came into our own and It was about celebrating the women and their individuality.

I’m just very excited to hopefully play and – yeah, I’m going to say it – be ambitious.

Hopefully you’ll have sold out Twickenham.

I know we’re not far off of that.

If we can get close to anywhere where we were at the World Cup final, that’s going to be a great day out for everyone.

And I’m excited to play Ireland, if I’m hopefully within that squad.

I think there’s only a few rows left to fill, aren’t there? It’s just the very top, isn’t it?

Yeah, I know.

We just need the last push and hopefully it’ll be just as magical.

And are there any young, up-and-coming Red Roses we should look out for?

Yeah, it’s hard to know.

If you’ve watched PWR people who have been playing really well, I think Lilli Ives-Campion’s been playing extremely well.

She was obviously involved in that World Cup squad, but hopefully she’ll have a bit more game time this season.

And hopefully we’ll see her form from Loughborough performing in the England shirt.

But I think we’ll definitely see Millie David as well.

She’s been fantastic for Bristol.

She’s incredibly rapid anyway, but just the work she does to finish, definitely last season and the opportunities she’s taken this season.

She’s been incredible.

So yeah, they’re the two I love and I’ll keep my eyes on.

Bristol have loads of exciting players. And when you look around at the other Six Nations players, the other five nations, who might you pick out from your Bears teammates that we would enjoy following?

I think Evie Gallagher is on incredible form at the minute.

The amount of turnovers, carries, the fire that she has.

I love it.

It fires me up and I love working with her.

So I’m really excited to see her thrive.

Emma Orr as well, Meryl [Smith], who has been out with injuries for the last, I don’t know, 14 months or something ridiculous.

She’s come back and she’s been incredible since she’s been back from her massive ACL injury.

So yeah, I think the Scots definitely have some great form coming back into their squad for Six Nations, but Keira Bevan as well.

She’s on form, getting a few of those quick tap tries.

I’ll have to keep my eye on her when we play Wales.

Last one, what is it about your rugby at the moment that you’re enjoying so much? Because it sounds just from your enthusiasm that you’re absolutely loving it.

I’ve always loved Bristol for the way that they play.

I love that it’s attacking rugby.

It’s about getting people in spaces.

And it’s putting everyone who is the best person for that job in their role.

And I love that they celebrate individuality here at Bristol.

So that’s a part that I always feel super valued.

I think the most important thing is if you feel valued somewhere, it allows you to be the best version of yourself and grow.

And It can come in many different forms, but I think having the captaincy this year, I’m enjoying it because I’m not really thinking too much about me and my rugby.

I’m thinking about us as a squad and how do I get everyone else to, like I said, believe in themselves, show them how incredible they are as people and players.

And then hopefully together we can be that cohesive team that you’ve seen so much of the second half of this season.