TATYANA HEARD was named the Mastercard player of the match in her World Cup debut for England after a stellar performance against South Africa.

Heard, who was raised in Ryedale and played for Malton and Norton in her youth career, started for England against South Africa as her country won 75-0, their third win in as many games at the competition.

The centre starred for the Red Roses as they advanced to the last eight of the ongoing rugby union World Cup, extending their unbeaten streak to 28 games.

England won all three matches in pool ‘C’ against the Springboks, France and Fiji, finishing with 14 points.

Heard was named player of the match for an exceptional performance.

When asked what her goal is when wearing the England jersey, Heard enthused: “Just for me to put in a solid, consistent performance and put my best foot forward. 

“It’s obviously my World Cup debut, so I just wanted to do the basics right and try and play well.”

Heard showcased speed and strength against South Africa, handling the ball well and producing some stunning forward breaks that her team could profit from.

Referring to the forwards in England’s team, Heard noted: “It’s amazing, they’re so dominant aren’t they? We just wanted to stick to our structure and be accurate. 

“That first 20 minutes, South Africa definitely brought it to us, they were really physical. 

“After that first 20, to start making ground and getting over the line a bit more was great for us.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had 80 minutes so it’s a bit of a tough one for me. 

“I’m alright now, but I need to have a lie down,” laughed Heard.