If you watched England’s Rosie Garrigan hoisted into the air during a lineout in this year’s Women’s Six Nations, you’d never know what nearly derailed her rugby career: her breasts.
Six years ago, aged 20, Garrigan underwent breast reduction surgery, going from a size 32HH to a 32DD. It was a big decision for a young athlete, but one she says has paved the way for an international career.
“Taking 2kg off your chest definitely makes a difference,” the Saracens second-row told BBC Sport.
“If I hadn’t had the surgery, I don’t think I would be where I am today – confidently or physically.”
At the time of her surgery, Garrigan had just begun her international rugby career, having joined the England Under-20 team, but she was already experiencing discomfort in her chest that she knew might affect her future as an elite athlete.
“One of the main reasons I had breast reduction surgery was simply because of the back and neck pain,” she says. “It would have caused me a lot more problems in the future.”
“I was wearing two heavy sports bras. They felt so compact when I was running. It didn’t hurt, but it got in the way. I was holding my chest and running like a T-Rex. I was running without using my arms.”
“I always had to wear a size up to make tops fit around my chest. It was really uncomfortable and made me feel so big. It’s never good to feel uncomfortable in your body.”
“This is actually major surgery.”
Breast reduction surgery is usually performed under general anesthesia and takes about 2-3 hours. Excess fat, glandular tissue and skin are removed from the breasts, the nipples are moved to a new position and the breasts are reshaped.
While some parents might be hesitant about their daughters undergoing such surgery, Galligan said her mother, Holly, had had breast reduction surgery herself, which made the decision to have the procedure easier.
It took six weeks for Garrigan to recover from the surgery before heading to Canada on tour with the England Under-20 national team.
“The first time I ran after my surgery, I felt so light. I felt like I could jump and really move,” she said. “I really felt like a different person. Just putting on a bra made me stand up straighter and feel light as a feather.”
But because of the taboo surrounding the surgery, she didn’t fully tell her coaches about it – something she now regrets.
“It was meant to be a gradual recovery but I felt I didn’t have that time,” she said. “I thought I would be fit to play international rugby again but I hadn’t prepared my body for the demands of rugby and I hurt my back in the first scrum.”
“I could have been more open with the staff and asked for their help.”
Ms Galligan, now 26, said it wasn’t until she watched a documentary earlier this year that showed exactly what happens during a breast reduction operation that she realised how complicated it was.
“I saw the surgery being done on TV and I thought, ‘Wow, this is really major surgery,'” she said.
“I didn’t realize how much work it took to get to where I am today. This isn’t just a little operation. It takes a lot to be able to do the operation for them.”
“I embraced my breast augmentation journey”
Garrigan’s international career has suffered setbacks, having been sidelined for three years after contracting meningitis in 2019 and suffering a serious ankle injury in 2020.
However, since returning to the top level he has played 14 times for England, winning two Six Nations Grand Slams and collecting a World Cup runner-up medal.
Her next goal is to make the 2025 World Cup squad.
“Losing the weight was definitely one of the best things that has happened to me as an athlete and it’s definitely what has gotten me to where I am today,” she said.
“I’ve embraced my chest journey and it’s now part of my sporting journey.”
Back in 2018, she didn’t tell many people she was going to have the surgery, but now she wants to use her platform to help others in the same situation and promote breast health.
“It’s helped some of the girls I know that I’ve been able to share a little bit of my life,” she said. “I’ve been speaking to girls in the rugby world, showing them pictures and being quite open with them.”
“If I can play for my country and represent England at the highest level, why wouldn’t I want to share that with others?”
Garrigan will feature for Saracens in Sunday’s Women’s Premiership semi-final against Bristol Bears, while the other semi-final, between Gloucester Hartpury and Exeter Chiefs, will be broadcast live on the BBC Sport website and app.
