When you're playing a World Cup on home soil, the pressure isn't just real—it's electric. England Red Roses prop Maud Muir knows that feeling better than most. Last September, she helped secure a home Rugby World Cup victory in front of a record-breaking crowd of 81,885 fans. Now, she's sharing her winning mindset with a different kind of athlete: England cricket all-rounder Freya Kemp, who's preparing for her own home T20 World Cup this summer.
Kemp reached out to Muir for advice, and the prop's response was refreshingly grounded. "Embrace it," Muir said. "Embrace having so many home fans, and be able to have an escape. You are so familiar with where you are that you can go home and relax a bit more."
It's sage advice from a player who knows how to win. Muir was a destructive force for John Mitchell's side throughout the World Cup, terrorizing defenses with her ball-carrying and scrummaging. She's also been a cornerstone of Gloucester-Hartpury's three consecutive Premiership Women's Rugby titles and is on track for an eighth straight Six Nations triumph with England. But there's more to Muir than just rugby prowess—and that's why Kemp was given the chance to ask her a question in the first place.
Before she became one of the world's best front rows, Muir was a keen cricketer. Her sporting year was split neatly: rugby in the winter, cricket in the summer. "I eventually had to pick between the two, and unfortunately I was not as talented at cricket," she admitted with a laugh. "I kind of did cricket as my mum loved it, as she hated watching rugby because she was scared of me getting injured. I was very grateful to play cricket for so many years."
Muir comes from a cricket family. Her brother still plays, and her dad was part of the Redbacks Cricket Club. Summers were spent with family and friends at the club, playing matches and soaking up the sun. On the field, Muir wasn't a star batter or bowler—she was a fielder and occasional wicketkeeper. "I was throwing myself around the cricket field," she said, and that fearless, all-in attitude clearly carried over to rugby.
Today, Muir is known for "boshing"—a term the England forwards use for powering through defenders with sheer force. It's a fitting nickname for a player who transitioned from cricket's gentle summer game to rugby's winter battlefield. Whether she's smashing through a defensive line or offering advice to a fellow World Cup-bound athlete, Muir proves that versatility, humility, and a love for the game can take you all the way to the top.