The Good, The Scaz & The Rugby · Platform Media

Abi Burton AKA Baby ‘Bulldozer’ Burts

January 30, 2025·1 hr 14 min·5 clips

Abby Burton survived 75 days in hospital with a one in 1.7 million illness that attacked her brain.

This episode features rugby player and two-time Olympian Abi Burton, known as "Baby 'Bulldozer' Burts," in conversation with hosts Elma and Meg Jones. Burton discusses her rugby career and a rare, severe health crisis that occurred after the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. She was hospitalized for 75 days, spent 25 days under a section order, and was in a coma for 28 days due to autoimmune encephalitis, where the immune system attacks the brain. The condition is exceptionally rare, with odds estimated at one in 1.7 million people. Burton details her recruitment into the England Sevens program at age 18 directly after her A-level exams, choosing it over a 15s contract to pursue her Olympic dream. She shares wild anecdotes from early tournaments, like chugging a pint on stage in Kitakyushu and carrying fellow player Ilona Maher down a street. Burton also reveals her unusual party trick: drinking a pint of gravy faster than a pint of beer. A significant portion of the conversation focuses on Burton's journey with body image, from being called names like "Flabby Abby" as a youth to becoming a body positivity advocate. She specifically recalls a pivotal moment when teammate Ellie Kildunne encouraged her to wear a bikini, and Natasha Hunt told her performance mattered more than appearance. Burton posed in a crop top for a Telegraph photoshoot before the Olympics to celebrate her strength and inspire others. The hosts and Burton discuss the mixed public reaction to a Bluebella lingerie campaign featuring other rugby players, comparing it to the praise for Ilona Maher's similar swimwear shoot. Burton reflects that her significant muscle mass before her illness likely saved her life, as she lost 25 kilograms while hospitalized. A memorable story from her hospital stay involves her, in a confused state, overpowering security guards and bursting through a ward door, earning the "Bulldozer" nickname. Her teammates recall the frightening behavioral changes leading to her hospitalization, including her inability to articulate words in meetings and an uncharacteristically passive response to not being selected for a tournament. The tone is deeply conversational, nostalgic, and emotionally resonant, blending humorous rugby stories with a candid and vulnerable health narrative. Listeners who enjoy intimate athlete interviews, stories of resilience, and discussions on sports psychology and body image would appreciate this episode. Those seeking only lighthearted sports banter might find the detailed medical and emotional segments too heavy.

As heard by us

A rugby interview that makes survival feel blunt, warm, and human.

Abby Burton gives this episode its weight. A two-time Olympian and Ealing Trailfinders back row, she talks through the years after Tokyo 2020, the shock of autoimmune encephalitis, and what fighting back felt like in a body that would not cooperate.

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Why you'd press play

For a rugby chat that starts playful and lands on survival, strength, and sharp honesty.

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