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Former England international, Rugby World Cup champion and passionate advocate for the women’s game, Rachael Burford, will join All
Blacks legend Christian Cullen as a 2027 McDonald’s Coral Coast Fiji 7s Tournament Ambassador.

She will also become Inductee number 21 into the Rugbytown Walk of Fame at the 15th edition of the tournament.

Burford and Cullen will travel to Fiji for the tournament, to be held at Lawaqa Park, Sigatoka, from 14–16 January 2027, bringing together two outstanding figures from the international game as the tournament celebrates its 15th edition.

Burford’s induction carries special significance, as she will become only the second woman to be inducted into the Rugbytown Walk of Fame, joining an extraordinary pantheon of international rugby greats whose achievements and contributions to the game have been permanently recognised in
the heart of Fiji’s Rugbytown.

Her induction will follow Christian Cullen as Inductee number 20, creating a memorable pairing for the 2027 tournament: two champions of the game, representing two of rugby’s great nations and very different rugby journeys, united in Sigatoka as Tournament Ambassadors. Burford enjoyed an outstanding international career with England across both the 15-a-side and sevens formats of the game.

She represented England at the inaugural Rugby World Cup Sevens women’s tournament in Dubai in 2009, an important milestone in the emergence of women’s rugby sevens on the international stage.

Her career would ultimately include one of rugby’s greatest honours when she helped England become 2014 Rugby World Cup champions, defeating Canada in the final in Paris.

That combination of elite achievement across both forms of the game makes Burford an especially fitting inductee for the Rugbytown Walk of Fame and Ambassador for the McDonald’s Coral Coast Fiji 7s.

However, it is not simply what Rachael achieved on the field that makes her a worthy addition to the Walk of Fame.

Her contribution to rugby has extended far beyond her playing career. She has become a tireless champion for women’s participation, opportunity, visibility and engagement at every level of the game — from grassroots players taking their first steps into rugby through to the elite international
stage.

Tournament Founding Chairman Jay Whyte said bringing Burford and Cullen together for the 15th tournament was a fitting way to celebrate both rugby excellence and the wider impact great players can have on the game.

“To have Rachael Burford and Christian Cullen together in Sigatoka as our 2027 Tournament Ambassadors is incredibly special. “Christian is one of the most electrifying players rugby has ever seen, while Rachael is a World Champion, a Rugby World Cup Sevens representative and unquestionably one of the great figures of English women’s rugby.

“But what really stands out to us about Rachael is what she has continued to do for the game beyond her own playing career. “She was there in Dubai in 2009 as women’s sevens took that important step onto the Rugby World Cup Sevens stage, and she went on to reach the pinnacle of the 15-a-side game as a World Cup champion in 2014. “More importantly, she has continued to use that experience and her standing within the sport to advocate for women and girls in rugby, create opportunities, encourage participation and push the women’s game forward.

“For our 15th tournament, we wanted our Ambassadors and Walk of Fame inductees to represent not only greatness on the rugby field, but genuine legacy within the sport. Christian and Rachael absolutely represent that. “To have Rachael become Inductee #21 and only the second woman in the history of our Walk of Fame, alongside Christian as Inductee #20, is something we are enormously proud of.”

The Rugbytown Walk of Fame has become one of the unique traditions of the McDonald’s Coral Coast Fiji 7s, honouring some of the most celebrated and influential figures from the global game.

Each inductee is permanently recognised in Sigatoka, a town and region whose connection with rugby runs extraordinarily deep and which has produced some of Fiji’s greatest players.

Burford and Cullen will be officially inducted during the 2027 tournament, allowing players and supporters to engage with two of international rugby’s most respected figures.

Burford’s presence comes as the McDonald’s Coral Coast Fiji 7s continues its commitment to growing the women’s competition and creating genuine equality of opportunity and recognition within the tournament.

The Shangri-La Yanuca Island Fiji Women’s Division will again feature an outstanding field of teams from Fiji and overseas, with the tournament continuing to increase the prize money, profile and international quality of the women’s competition.

Whyte said Burford’s visit would provide another important opportunity to inspire young women and girls throughout Fiji.

“Fiji has an extraordinary depth of female rugby talent. What we want young girls watching from the grandstand at Lawaqa Park to see is that there is a pathway for them and that women belong at every level of this game — as players, coaches, administrators, leaders and ambassadors. 

“Rachael has lived that message throughout her career. “The Rugbytown Walk of Fame is about legacy, and Rachael Burford’s legacy is still being written. We are delighted that a permanent part of it will now be here in Sigatoka.”

The 15th McDonald’s Coral Coast Fiji 7s will take place at Lawaqa Park, Sigatoka, Fiji, from 14–16 January 2027, bringing together leading men’s, women’s and youth teams from Fiji and around the world.

In keeping with the tournament’s commitment to the people of Fiji, entry across all three days remains FREE