For most people, a year that brings a league title, a ring on their finger and a new mortgage would be more than enough. But Wales rugby forward Georgia Evans has packed even more into her whirlwind 12 months — and she wants to add one more thing to the list: a baby.
Evans and her fiancee, England star Hannah Botterman, are two of the toughest players in women's rugby. They often line up on opposing sides for club and country. But off the pitch, they're a team. Evans was in the Salford crowd on Saturday to watch Botterman make her comeback from injury in England's 39-Test winning streak squad, a victory over Australia.
"It's amazing" to support her, Evans said. "Obviously it makes me a little bit jealous at times, but she's also been through the troubles of injury and rehab. To have that connection is pretty special and unique."
The engagement, she admitted, caught her completely off guard. "I was in a bit of a bubble. It felt like a fever dream where you just don't know what's going on, and then I came back for pre-season and it all hits you pretty hard."
Wedding planning can wait — but the couple have already started on something bigger. Speaking on The Good, The Scaz & The Rugby podcast, Botterman revealed she had been for IVF pre-scans that left her "terribly surprised." Evans agreed it has been an eye opener. "Unfortunately it's not a happy accident that just happens for us, but it's something that we've looked into for the future."
What's making the journey easier is the support both unions are offering. Wales' Alisha Joyce and her wife Jaz became the first couple to have a baby in Wales' camp when their son Ralphie arrived in November. Now baby Ralphie is always around, and both coaches — England's John Mitchell and Wales' Sean Lynn — have embraced the family feel.
"It's another step forward to allow us as elite athletes to plan for motherhood," Evans said, "because rugby is such a small time frame in your life, and it's such a bigger thing to look forward to after rugby, or during."
There is, of course, one fiery debate the couple has already settled. With her fiancee an England legend, Evans was asked which shirt any future children would wear. She didn't hesitate: "They'll be wearing a Welsh shirt for sure."
Her fiancée and England coach John Mitchell are "absolutely amazing with families," Evans added, and Wales head coach Sean Lynn "loves the family feel here."
For two women competing at the very top of their sport, the biggest match still ahead might be the one they tackle together.