Tatyana Heard rugby player
Tatyana Heard rugby player

Tatyana Heard

14th Jan 1995 1.64m/76kg Inside Centre

Tatyana was born in Pisa, Italy where her family lived for two years during her father’s time in the US Army. They then moved to Maryland, USA, before returning to the UK to live in Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire near to her mother’s family.

Here she attended Kirkbymoorside Community Primary, Ryedale School and Hartpury College. After completing a degree in sport’s conditioning, rehabilitation and massage at Cardiff Metropolitan University, Tatyana is now studying for a MSc in sport’s therapy at the University of Gloucestershire.

She has played rugby throughout her studies, having first picked up a ball aged 11 at Malton and Norton RUFC before going on to play for West Park Leeds, Bristol, Pontyclun and Cardiff Met WRFC with whom she won the 2016 BUCS Final at Twickenham Stadium.

Her brother Ali plays for Hull RUFC, having also played for England Students and England Counties U20, and she cites his rugby career as one of her biggest influences and the reason she first got into the sport. England international Nolli Waterman also had a major impact, having coached Tatyana when she moved to Hartpury College aged 16.

Having ruptured her ACL aged 17 and sidelined for 18 months, Tatyana missed out on the opportunity to capitalise on her England U20 squad call up. However impressive performances for Gloucester-Hartpury in the Tyrrells Premiers 15s led to a call up to the Red Roses for the 2018 Quilter Internationals where she made two starts and being awarded a full-time contract in 2019.

She started the opening two games of the 2019 Women’s Six Nations at inside centre playing her part as the Red Roses won the Grand Slam.

She took her cap tally to 4.

Credit: England Rugby

Career

england England Women
Inside Centre
2018 - present
image (16) Gloucester-Hartpury Women
Inside Centre
2019 - present