Key Facts
| Squad | Bristol |
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| Position | Flanker |
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| Age | 23 |
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| Height | 1.65m (5'5") |
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| Weight | 73kg (11st 6lb) |
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| Caps | 18 |
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After first lacing up her boots at the age of five with Ivel Barbarians and spending 13 seasons with the club, Marlie Packer moved on to Bath (2007-09) before joining Bristol, the club she now captains, three years ago. Marlie was the England Players’ Player in the 2012 Six Nations Championship and the Bristol’s Personality of the Year for 2011.
Schooled at Birchfield, Buckler’s Mead and Yeovil College, she works as a plumber for DR Jones in her home town of Yeovil and represented her country at England U19, U20 and England A before winning a full cap when England beat Sweden 80-3 in the European Championships in Limoges in May 2008.
Her second Test appearance for the Red Roses was when they beat South Africa 46-8 at the Nations Cup 39 months later – in August 2011. Marlie waited only another eight days for two more caps, both in victory over Canada and contributed to the 10-0 win over the Black Ferns at Twickenham in November 2011 with an appearance off the bench for Becky Essex after 58 minutes.
Marlie started the second Test against them at Esher, played off the bench for Alexandra Matthews in the final game of the series and in February last year scored the first of England’s nine tries in the Six Nations match against Scotland and began every game in the 2012 tournament. Next stop was Rovereto, Italy where she notched one of England’s 11 tries in the 61-0 victory over Spain in May and shared in the 29-25 win over France in the final.
Her England Sevens debut was when the squad won the World Series round two tournament in Houston in February this year and she went on to score a maiden try at that level against hosts China at Guangzhou the following month.
She was initially a hooker, moved to the second row and in recent times has played in every back row position. Her mentors are club coach Tracey Lane and strength & conditioner Andy Roda. Her favourite players are former England Women’s captain Catherine Spencer together with Jonny Wilkinson and Thierry Dusautoir.
Marlie’s best rugby memories are beating New Zealand twice in the 2011 autumn Tests and her first start at Twickenham in the Six Nations against Wales. Her top ground is Cleve.
Last updated: April 5, 2013
