The Love genes are made of stern stuff. 

When the family gathers for Sunday lunch there are not one, but three rugby players in the mix, as Poppy Love follows in the footsteps of her dad and brother. 

The 18-year-old has been tearing up the turf since the age of four and has already donned the England jersey as part of her country's Under-18s squad earlier this year as she bids to continue a proud legacy. 

“My older brother and dad are absolutely massive on rugby, so that’s why I started. I wanted to follow them," she said. 

“The physical test was a real pull too. Whenever I get on the pitch I’m in the zone, my mind isn’t anywhere else.

“But it’s also a family thing. My dad and brother come to every game. When I got called-up to England U18s, seeing them on the sidelines I thought ‘who would have believed this would happen 14 years later?’

“It’s been a dream of mine to play for England so to put on the shirt and play in front of my family was insane.”

With a background in athletics and football, Love’s agility and creative flair makes her every coach's dream scrum-half and having tasted life as a junior Red Rose, the teenager is hungry for more.

“Abi Burton - a GB Sevens player - is my coach at University but also a personal friend. Watching her at the Olympics in Paris was really inspiring,” she said.

“I love sevens because I love to take the ball and run with it, but Abi has overcome a lot of things too. She was in a medically-induced coma and only came out of it a few years ago. Her story made me think 'if she can go through all of that and play for England, I can do it too’.

"My aim is to play for England U19s before the end of this season."

Having completed school life at Henley College before joining Brunel University to study Life Sciences this autumn, Love thrives on wearing multiple hats, but is also learning to navigate the spotlight. 

“When I was selected for England that brought some pressure," she said.

"I started questioning ‘can I really do this?’ You’re just a name on the team sheet before you play on the pitch and wear the shirt.

“But I think the pressure helps me. When I have my down days with rugby it’s a reminder that I’m good enough and someone believes in me. The adrenaline builds up and you can let it all out on the pitch.

“The adjustment to playing rugby at university in comparison to college has been big - the players are a lot bigger and stronger - but the step up has been really exciting.” 

Love is one of 50 athletes across a multitude of sports supported by a partnership between SportsAid and Pitching In, a multimillion-pound grassroots sport programme established by Entain, owner of Ladbrokes and Coral.

She knows the importance of putting in the hard yards and credited SportsAid for helping her do just that.

“I had to travel in for preseason for seven weeks, which was really expensive, and my lectures started a week before everyone else’s, so I had to pay an extra £200 for accommodation,” she said. 

“Without SportsAid, I would not have been able to do either of those things. I have two goals for this season: to play for the university first team and be selected for England U19s, so having the funding will be a big help.”

Entain, owner of Ladbrokes and Coral, is proud to be championing the next generation of British sporting heroes by providing talented young athletes with financial support and personal development opportunities in partnership with SportsAid. Visit entaingroup.com to find out more.