The Rhianne Rush Story
Rhianne Rush has achieved a lot for a 22-year-old. She has established herself as a consistent player in tier three of the English women’s football pyramid, while also making two appearances for Thailand.
This year has been bittersweet for Rush, who made her Thailand debut against Iraq in June 2025, three months after suddenly losing her mother. Speaking about the support she received from the Thai FA in the early stages of her grief, Rush said:
“My mother’s passing was unexpected and turned my world upside down. The Thai FA, however, were very supportive and understanding of my situation, they reached out a lot and acknowledged how much the opportunity meant to me.”
“On a personal note, my mum is my driving force and getting my debut for Thailand was emotional for me because all I wanted to do was to hug her and say we did it! But I know she would be watching down, cheering me on, and telling me how proud she is.”
Rush made her second appearance for her country shortly after her first against Mongolia in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers. Despite breaking into Thailand’s first-team, the 22-year-old opened up about the challenges of grief while pursuing her football career. She said:
“I am still figuring out how to balance my football career while feeling the heavy grief of losing a parent so suddenly and navigating life without her. There are moments where I have no strength or motivation to even get out of bed, but I will always hear my mum’s voice in the back of my mind telling me to keep going and not to give up. Everything I do is for her - to keep her legacy and spirit alive, whether that is on or off the pitch.”
Rush spent time at Great Horwood FC and Milton Keynes City FC in her early years, before joining MK Dons’ academy at the age of 14. She enjoyed a successful seven-year spell at the Dons, winning the club’s Players’ Player of the Season in the 2023/24 campaign.
After helping to establish MK Dons as a tier three side, Rush joined Rugby Borough in the summer of 2024 to play in the FAWNL Northern Premier Division. They finished fifth in the league, while also reaching the last 16 of the FA Cup – facing Liverpool at home and losing 2-0. Speaking about her time at Rugby Borough, Rush said:
“My time at Rugby was short and sweet. I’m really grateful for the opportunity to learn a new style of football and meet some amazing people - plus play in the Northern League, as I have spent many years playing in the Southern side. The FA Cup run was thrilling, especially as it was my first experience facing a WSL side - Liverpool. Unfortunately, I did get injured and tore my MCL in the game, and so I didn’t get to enjoy much of the opportunity.”
Rush recovered from her injury at the end of the 2024/25 season and made two Thailand appearances in June and July. It was a drawn-out process to represent Thailand, with the paperwork taking three years to complete. Eventually, Rush finalised the documents required to play for her country, making her long-awaited debut even more special. She said:
“It was a big weight off the shoulders, the process was really complicated and required me finding time to travel to Thailand to sort my documents. And within that, I had experienced injuries, setbacks, and personal losses. To make my debut and say I have the honour to play for Thailand is something I’m really proud of.”
Rush joined Real Bedford in July 2025 – a few weeks after Lucy Wood also signed for the club from Rugby Borough. The Thailand international detailed how Wood’s signing and the presence of other former teammates from MK Dons made the transition to the Pirates a smooth one. She said:
“Yes, me and Lucy have grown a lot through our time at MK Dons, then Rugby and now at Real Bedford. My time here has been great, I am fortunate to know a lot of the girls and staff, so that made the transition a lot smoother. I felt like this was the right move for me personally after losing my mum, as I needed to be around people who knew me well and the togetherness the team has - helps so much.”
Rush has already established herself as a crucial part of the Pirates’ squad, making nine appearances in the centre of midfield and helping Charlie Bill’s side win six games in a row in all competitions. Not only does she think it is an exciting time for Real Bedford this season, but Rush also explained her excitement for the club’s long-term project. She said:
“There is so much potential and opportunities for growth. This shows starting with the chairman, Pete, who is very supportive and constantly shows how much he cares. I also think the coaching staff and players all contribute to showing how much potential there is at Real Bedford - the welcoming and passionate environment is unmatched. Plus, the growing fan base and results are showing tier three how much potential we have as a club and why we deserved the recent promotion.”
The Pirates will be looking to make it seven wins in a row on Sunday when they face Derby County in the FAWNL Cup first round. Rush was keen to emphasise the difficulty of the task ahead:
“It will be another real big test for us as a team. We have been on a strong run, but we definitely cannot underestimate Derby. Playing them at our home ground gives us the advantage and we have been focused and working hard in training to prepare for Sunday. Hopefully, we can continue our positive run of results and keep a clean sheet.”
As Sunday’s cup clash edges closer, one thing is for certain: Rush, otherwise known as ‘Rushy’ by her teammates, will bring a fighting spirit and drive to the Pirates’ midfield that her mother would have been more than proud of.
