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Grace Crompton

Grace Crompton (born 30 October 2001) is an English rugby union player who plays for Bristol Bears Women and the Great Britain women's national rugby sevens team, having also played for England sevens.

Early and personal life

Crompton is the granddaughter of actor Hywel Bennett and broadcaster Cathy McGowan and step granddaughter of singer Michael Ball.[1] She was educated at Epsom College in Surrey before attending the University of Bath, where she studied Sports Management and Coaching.[2][3]

Club career

In March 2023, Crompton scored a hat-trick of tries for Bristol Bears Women in the Premier 15s against Loughborough Lightning.[4] In July 2024, she signed for Harlequins Women, a side that she has previously been involved with as a youth player.[5]

International career

Crompton scored two tries on her England debut, and six in the tournament as a whole, as England ultimately won gold in the HSBC Sevens Women’s Fast Four competition held in Vancouver, Canada, in her first international competition in September 2021.[6][7]

Crompton was selected to play for England at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in rugby sevens.[8] She was named in the England squad for the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens – Women's tournament held in Cape Town, South Africa in September 2022.[9]

In June 2024, she was named in the British squad for the 2024 Paris Olympics, and was the youngest player selected for the squad. [5][10] The team finished seventh.[11]

She was selected for the Great Britain national rugby sevens team for the 2024-25 SVNS series which began at the Dubai Sevens on 30 November 2024.[12] Her efforts included a hat trick of tries against Ireland at the Singapore Sevens in March 2025.[13]

References

  1. ^ "West End Musical Star Michael Ball's Granddaughter Has Been Chosen To Play Rugby For England Nixolympia News". Nixolympia.com. 9 April 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  2. ^ Tobin, Mark (14 June 2019). "Grace Crompton Selected for England". Epsomcollege.org.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Grace Crompton: 'Magical Commonwealth Games experience'". Bristolbearsrugby.com. 9 August 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  4. ^ "Premier 15s: Exeter beat Harlequins to stay top, Gloucester-Hartpury thrash Darlington". BBC Sport. 5 March 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Harlequins sign GB Sevens wing Crompton". BBC Sport. 26 July 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  6. ^ "Dream debut as Bath student Grace Crompton helps GB Rugby Sevens take Women's Fast Four title in Vancouver". Teambath.com. 20 September 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  7. ^ "Grace Crompton". Teamengland.org. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  8. ^ "RFU". Englandrugby.com. Archived from the original on 20 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  9. ^ "ENGLAND SQUADS FOR RUGBY WORLD CUP SEVENS NAMED". Englandrugby.com. Archived from the original on 26 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  10. ^ Southcombe, Matt (19 June 2024). "Welsh speedster Jasmine Joyce makes history with Team GB Paris Olympics call-up". ITV.com. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  11. ^ "Around the Games: Day Four of Paris 2024". Team GB. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  12. ^ "GB 7s 2024-25 squad announcement". gbrugbysevens.com. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  13. ^ "HSBC SVNS: MILLER LIGHTS UP WOMEN'S FINAL AS NEW ZEALAND BEAT AUSTRALIA IN HONG KONG". svns.com. 30 March 2025. Retrieved 16 April 2025.