From crunching tackles to Instagram model, Rugby World Cup winner Holly Aitchison\u00a0has left fans stunned \u2014 and inspired \u2014 after stepping into the limelight as a bikini model for none other than\u00a0Victoria\u2019s Secret.<\/p>\n
Join RUCK\u2019s Instagram broadcast channel <\/a>and get the latest rugby news straight to your phone.<\/p>\n The 27-year-old Red Roses playmaker, set to be a key player during the Women\u2019s Rugby World Cup for England, has been fronting Clinique\u2019s game-changing #GameFace campaign \u2014 but now, she\u2019s taken her confidence journey one step further with a sizzling swimwear debut for the global lingerie giant.<\/p>\n Earlier this week, Clinique upped the ante, announcing that their campaign \u2014 once solely focused on Aitchison \u2014 now features\u00a0the entire Red Roses squad.<\/p>\n Clinique x Red Roses: More Than Just Skin Deep<\/p>\n In a powerful statement, Clinique said:<\/p>\n \u201cWith the Red Roses, that mission grows. Clinique is providing one-to-one skincare consultations with expert consultants, who are educated in partnership with dermatologists, resulting in personalised routines for players from skincare to makeup, all designed to help players feel confident, prepared and ready to perform at the highest level, empowering them to shine both on and off the pitch.\u201d<\/p>\n Aitchison is at the heart of the campaign, using her platform to promote body confidence and support grassroots girls\u2019 rugby. But it\u2019s her bikini shoot with Victoria\u2019s Secret that\u2019s really got people talking.<\/p>\n \u2018I Was Terrified to Be Seen Bare-Faced\u2019<\/p>\n Aitchison has opened up with raw honesty about her struggles with self-esteem \u2014 and how her skin played a huge part in knocking her confidence early in her career.<\/p>\n \u201cOver the years I\u2019ve really struggled with my skin. I had blemishes everywhere \u2013 it had a massive hit on my confidence,\u201d she revealed.<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t take media interviews after games, I would never be seen without makeup.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d think I\u2019m the most confident woman in the room,\u201d she says, given her on-pitch role as fly half is \u201cto boss people around, organise the game, tell them where to go<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I moved away from home, at 16, I struggled to leave my room for six months, other than lectures and training. I had bad acne. I had a complex that I wasn\u2019t pretty because of my skin.\u201d <\/p>\n She used make-up as a mask: \u201cI used to say, \u2018I\u2019m from Liverpool, doesn\u2019t everyone wear a full face?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Rugby was her salvation. \u201cOn the pitch the anxiety went. Nothing else mattered. The noise disappeared, even in stadiums of thousands. When I\u2019m playing it\u2019s all within my control, I\u2019m confident enough to know, I\u2019ve got that.\u201d<\/p>\n That was then. Fast-forward to now and she\u2019s standing tall in swimwear, fronting the camera with pride and setting the standard for women and girls everywhere. From stepping past defenders to tearing down beauty norms, Aitchison is rewriting the playbook.<\/p>\n When Victoria\u2019s Secret came calling after seeing her posts, \u201cmy jaw hit the floor\u201d. Since then, she\u2019s collaborated with L\u2019Or\u00e9al and Clinique too. \u201cI love that these feminine brands are coming in to work with women\u2019s rugby and realising these two things can coexist. I love that we\u2019re visible enough.\u201d<\/p>\n Make-up, once a mask, is now pure joy. On TikTok she shares match-tested routines \u2014 Fenty foundation, Rhode blush, L\u2019Or\u00e9al Lash Paradise and a setting spray she swears by. \u201cThe girlies love it. They want to know what I\u2019m using and how it stays put.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s also part of her prematch ritual. \u201cI love to feel I\u2019m getting ready for a match almost like a night out. There are cameras on us. With a man they only want to talk about their performance, but for us they\u2019re going to talk about our image. I feel my best when I look my best.\u201d<\/p>\n Beauty, Boots, and Bikinis<\/p>\n Clinique\u2019s #GameFace campaign, backed by Aitchison, shines a spotlight on how sport can boost mental health and body image. <\/p>\n With a shocking\u00a079% of teenage girls reporting low self-esteem, the campaign is investing\u00a0\u00a310,000\u00a0into each of four girls\u2019 rugby clubs \u2014 funding kit, education, and travel to help build the game from the ground up.<\/p>\n And Holly? She\u2019s proof that confidence can come from a killer pass, a glowing complexion \u2014 or a bold bikini photo shoot.<\/p>\n Rugby Hard, Glow Harder<\/p>\n By blending sporting grit with model glamour, Aitchison is breaking down stereotypes and showing young girls that they can be\u00a0tough, talented, and totally themselves\u00a0\u2014 whether they\u2019re lining up a penalty kick or striking a pose under the sun.<\/p>\n From the Women\u2019s Rugby World Cup to the sands of a fashion set, Holly Aitchison is doing it all \u2014 and\u00a0doing it her way.<\/p>\n EDITORS PICKS:<\/p>\n Meet the partners cheering on England during Rugby World Cup final<\/p>\n Taking on a Rugby World Cup is no easy task\u2014especially when it\u2019s on your home turf, in front of the roars of England\u2019s faithful. That\u2019s the challenge the Red Roses are facing as they prepare for the\u00a0World Cup final against Canada this weekend.<\/p>\n But while the spotlight shines on the pitch, there\u2019s another source of strength driving these athletes forward: the unwavering support of their partners. Behind every scrum, sprint, and soaring victory, there\u2019s a network of love, encouragement, and sacrifice.<\/p>\n So, before the final whistle blows, let\u2019s meet the squad behind the squad\u2014the partners who stand firmly in the Roses\u2019 corner.<\/p>\n Ellie Kildunne & Cameron Sommerville-Bailey<\/p>\n Star fullback Ellie Kildunne has long been one of England\u2019s most exciting rugby talents\u2014and her personal life has drawn interest too. She has been in a relationship with Cameron Sommerville-Bailey, a director at Complete Renovations, with the pair previously attending the World Rugby Awards together in 2024.<\/p>\n Recently, fans have noticed fewer pictures of the couple on social media, sparking speculation about whether their relationship has shifted. While some whispers suggest a split, others believe they remain together but are simply keeping things more private as Ellie\u2019s profile rises on the mainstream stage. Neither has commented publicly.<\/p>\n For now, Ellie seems fully focused on her rugby\u2014lighting up the pitch with her trademark flair as she looks to play a starring role in England\u2019s World Cup campaign.<\/p>\n Jess Breach & Archie White<\/p>\n There\u2019s not much public detail about their relationship, but the headlines say it all: Jess Breach shares life with former Harlequins flanker\u00a0Archie White, who created headlines by stepping away from the game last summer at just 27. <\/p>\n A bold pivot, and no doubt a steadying presence in Jess\u2019s corner.<\/p>\n CONTINUES ON PAGE TWO<\/a><\/p>\n Like this:<\/p>\n Like Loading…<\/p>\n