Grace Crompton, who will represent Team GB in rugby sevens at Paris 2024, is the step-granddaughter of stage actor and singer Michael Ball.
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Ball gained fame for originating the role of Marius Pontmercy in the West End production of Victor Hugo’s famous novel.
He married Crompton’s grandmother Cathy before Crompton was born, and the iconic performer has always been a part of her life.
The 22-year-old revealed that the couple she calls ‘Bumpy and Bally’ are two of her biggest supporters in her rugby career.
“Bally is my step-grandad, but he’s been in our family since my mum was born, so he’s all I’ve ever known,” she said.
“In all seriousness, he is an absolute fan of ours. He always tells me that he never thought he would be cheering on women’s rugby sevens, but here he is now.
“He watches every stop on the series with my grandma. They put on the live stream with a glass of wine in hand and watch all day.
“They are the biggest supporters ever, and I guess he’s great at what he does as well.
“I will never say no to a bit of Les Mis on the team bus.”
England set to play Wales at expanded 2027 Rugby World Cup
During the draw, the 24 participating teams will be divided into six pools, each consisting of four teams. Notably, this draw will transpire before the regional qualifiers have concluded, resulting in a dual-world approach.
On one side, we have the twelve automatic qualifiers from the 2023 Rugby World Cup, confirmed by their names. On the other side, the regional qualifiers will be represented as Africa 1, Europe 1, Europe 2, and so forth.
Rugby World Cup 2027 is set to be hosted in Australia, marking the eleventh edition of the Men’s Rugby World Cup and the third time it will take place in Australia. The country previously co-hosted the inaugural Rugby World Cup with New Zealand in 1987 and served as the sole host in 2003.
With the current World Rankings in mind, let’s delve into how the 2027 Rugby World Cup will shape up via Rugby Centre.
2027 Rugby World Cup draw (Current rankings)
POOL A
- South Africa
- Argentina
- Samoa
- Spain
POOL B
- Ireland
- Australia
- Georgia
- Romania
