Alex Matthews determined to use profile during Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Alex Matthews is intent on using her position as a world champion for the greater good this season.

The 32-year-old Gloucester Hartpury back row clinched her second World Cup crown as part of the Red Roses this summer and is ready to now deliver on domestic shores as the 2025/26 Premiership Women's Rugby season gets underway.

And with October also marking Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Matthews knows there is more to her role than just performing on the pitch - and she is ready to use her platform as an elite sportswoman and the fresh interest in the women's game as an avenue to awareness.

"Rugby is just a game at the end of the day, and there's so many more important things out there," she said.

"The fact that we will hopefully, have more eyes on Premiership Women's Rugby now going forward, we can capitalise on that and use it to help other people. It's that bigger purpose."

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Breast Cancer Now is the PWR’s official charity for the 2025/26 season, with clubs across the league kicking off the partnership by supporting their “wear it pink” campaign in Round 1.

Every 9 minutes a woman is told ‘you have breast cancer’, while one man is diagnosed each day in the UK.

Breast Cancer Now’s wear it pink is one of the UK’s biggest fundraising events. Now in its 24th year, it brings communities together across the UK to raise money by wearing pink in any way they choose from dress-up days and coffee mornings, to bake sales, wild swims, and even bra displays.

To date, wear it pink has raised over £43 million to support people affected by breast cancer. With the opportunity to use rugby as a way to give fans information on the disease, Matthews believes that partnering with the charity is a great way to spread awareness.

"We say it in our own game that if the girls don't see us play, then they don't know rugby exists and I think it's the same for awareness around cancer," she said.

"If we don't show it, no one knows that actually those charities are out there. So it's an opportunity for people to think 'Oh, actually, I should check myself', or 'I should get more information on that', which is really important.

"I guess that comes down to the mentality that if it's not something that is currently affecting someone, they don't know how important it is to just literally give yourself five minutes to check."

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When Gloucester Hartpury host Saracens in their first game of the season this year, fan activation zones with hair braiding, face painting, nail art, tattoos and more, will all be in aid of Breast Cancer Now, with optional donations and resources available around the stadium.

"It's about providing something which is fun and that is going to encourage people to participate," added Matthews.

"It's not necessarily about all the mundane knowledge that you might need but instead something that will hopefully trigger them to go and research it."

For Matthews, this isn't just a way to help others.

The number eight's dad, Dave, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2009, going into remission in 2014 before receiving a terminal diagnosis.

"My dad got the clearance but then he wasn't getting regular blood tests which he should have," she said.

"It took him being rushed into hospital to find like another tumour compressed in his spinal cord, whereas, if he had the knowledge, it might have been different. It's just a savage, brutal disease."

On the pitch, Gloucester Hartpury are looking for a fourth straight PWR title and Matthews is ready for the challenge.

"I personally don't think there is pressure," she said. "I mean, I don't think anyone's going to expect you to win for four years on a row but that is our goal.

"Obviously everyone's going to be gunning for us, because it's what happens when you're at the top but we just love it.

"I'm looking forward to being back out there playing with the girls."

Wear pink. Raise money. Help fund lifesaving breast cancer research and life-changing support. Visit wearitpink.org/signup.