Delaney Burns targets Red Roses growth ahead of Australia clash

Delaney Burns revealed to her England team-mates that at 15 years old she had a 'short back and sides' - it went down well.

Having been selected to speak at one of the Red Roses 'connection meetings', the 24-year-old admitted she had "never been so nervous to talk in front of a group of people" in her life.

But the second-row was a roaring success as she covered her rugby journey, life in Bristol and 'that' haircut.

As she prepares to face Australia this Saturday, she has another opportunity to add to her six caps in what has been a whirlwind career so far.

Still only 24, Burns won her first three caps for England in 2023, then had to patiently wait for a call-up into the 2026 Six Nations squad to add three more.

With Abbie Ward, Rosie Galligan and Zoe Stratford all away from the squad pregnant or on maternity leave, the upcoming WXV Global Series is a significant opportunity for Burns.

"This is the first kind of campaign that I've been brought in from the start," she says.

"Being deemed as a more experienced forward, especially around the line-out, is something I want to hold myself quite high to and we do have a few younger players in the squad now, a few people coming through. So, I'm just trying to be a bit more of a person of knowledge to look to and help them out and build on my own strength."

Having missed out on one of England's 32-contracted places, she's focusing on her defence this season and wants to reach the next level.

As Burns continues to find her feet in the squad, an area she's excelled in off-field has been her work with the Bristol Bears Foundation. She coaches and gives talks to girls at schools in the greater Bristol area, covering more than just rugby.

"We talk about the menstrual cycle and how it affects you," she says. "Rugby is a really good sport to help with the idea of body image.

"We look at the effects that social media has in terms of too much screen time and filtering and AI. How to stay mentally safe as well as physically safe.

"There's some really deprived areas of Bristol - our whole mantra is to take those areas and do what we can to give the kids in those communities an opportunity, which I find very rewarding."

The impact of the work she's done with the foundation has seen the launch of a South Bristol girls team that's attracted 50-60 players and counting.

As she seeks a seventh cap against Australia on Saturday, will she take any of her own advice?

"I should listen to my own voice a bit more, probably," she says. "There are times where I definitely find myself in a bit of a weird headspace, camp is always hard.

"It's really rewarding and it's an exciting place to be and I wouldn't change it for the world, but equally it can be quite difficult. So yeah, listening to my own advice probably would be quite beneficial."

One of Burns' greatest fans is her grandad. If selected on Saturday, he'll be making the trip up to Manchester from Poole.

"He got me into rugby, trained me and goes to all the games he can," she says.

The stories about old hairstyles may have raised a few smiles among team-mates, but Burns is taking a more serious approach to the season ahead.

If selected against Australia, she will have another opportunity to add to her international experience and strengthen her place in an increasingly competitive Red Roses squad, with one of her biggest supporters watching on from the stands.