Scrum halves have always been canny and shrewd characters, and the Saracens number nine Leanne Infante is no exception.

The fifty-seven capped England international has now become a financial adviser, having joined the Quilter Academy in 2023. The services she now provides off the field are as smooth and accurate as that delightful spin pass of hers from the base of the scrum.

Whether it be Scrums to Spreadsheets or Mauls to Microsoft, Red Rose number 189 manages to combine both demanding roles adroitly.

As well as catching tricky returns in her own twenty-two, she is now also more than aware of those dreaded HMRC returns, the self-assessment variety.

On the field, I wonder if the heated verbal exchanges that invariably take place as a scrum forms have now been replaced with gnarly props asking Leanne for advice about the lifetime allowance on their personal pension pots.

Six years have passed since I sat with Leanne to write a piece about her at a warm, sunny Surrey Sports Park. She had just returned to Harlequins pre-season training following a relaxing summer holiday spent cycling stages of the Tour de France, and I don’t mean freewheeling through Paris, sipping champagne. She chose the mountains of the Pyrenees, tackling three peaks in one day.

This involved a 96 kilometre ride at a vertical height of 3200 metres, cycling constantly uphill for periods of around two hours in thirty degree heat, on one of the peaks there was no shade whatsoever, and she ran out of water.

Meanwhile, the rest of us mere mortals back home could barely make it to the fridge it was so hot.

The temperatures we experienced that summer were brutal, Leanne’s relaxation techniques are not for the feint-hearted.

The opening line of that article entitled “Leanne Riley, Stand Out Scrum Half” was as true then as it is now.

“Scrum halves are a unique group of people, they have to develop the art of doing twice the work in half the time” although in Leanne’s case that has now been upgraded to three times the work in a quarter of the time.

It has been a joy and a privilege to see Leanne develop and mature, both on and off the field. Despite constantly providing her with the nutritional handicap of Welsh Cakes during those Harlequins days, it doesn’t seem to have impaired her progress in any way.

The effervescent number nine has always been the heartbeat of whichever team she is playing for, leading by example, setting the pace and tone of the attack, plus she is not afraid to give the forwards a bit of advice and gentle motivation when required.

A playing career that has spanned Saracens, Harlequins, Bristol Bears and back again to Sarries is still very much alive and kicking. However, she is well aware that post rugby playing days need to be planned for and has taken steps to build and establish a career alongside her Saracens duties.

Having achieved the CIl Level 4 Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning, Leanne is fully qualified and authorised by the FCA, as well as a qualified member of the Personal Finance Society. So, you are in safe hands. What else would you expect from a world-class scrum-half?

Preparing for life after rugby is difficult. It is so easy to bury your head in the sand and ignore the day of reckoning. Just as she was a trailblazer in how to transition from the amateur to professional era, she is now showing the way in how to prepare for that inevitable day when the boots are hung up. This will ensure sound financial foundations are put in place for whatever the future may hold.

Outside of rugby, one of Leanne’s passions is to assist others in making that giant leap as painless as possible with sound financial planning.

But it’s not just rugby players that need expert financial advice. With the economic uncertainty, we all find ourselves in and the constant increasing of state pension entitlement age, financial planning, income protection, and preparing for our non-sporting retirement are essential.

There are all sorts of financial minefields to negotiate these days, too many to list here, but Leanne has got them all covered. She will be happy to chat to you, whether it’s for a free initial consultation or to discuss your current situation. So get in touch and I can guarantee you will get a quality service and in a delightful friendly manner.

One member of the Infante family who does not require financial nous is Tess, a gorgeous young lady with a beautiful smile who was extremely keen to join our chat. But it turns out Tess is more interested in unregistered nutritional matters and ‘Walkies’ as you would expect from any self-respecting Staffordshire bull terrier.

Leanne Infante is one of the best scrum halves it has ever been my privilege to watch, irrespective of gender. To me and many others, it is a mystery why she has not been included in any Red Roses squads since the last Rugby World Cup, despite being available for selection.

I take you back to that chat in the Guildford sunshine six years ago and in my subsequent article, I wrote at the time;

“If there was one act that sums up Leanne, it occurred at the end of Harlequins narrow defeat to Saracens in the inaugural Tyrrells Premier Final.

Whilst everyone was visibly hurting, none more so than Leanne, it was the Quins scrum-half herself who was doing the rounds, consoling all her fellow players, coaching staff and fans alike. This spoke volumes about her not only as a team player, but perhaps more importantly as a person.

“She corralled her team mates in front of the posts for a team photo, and that one act changed the mood, all of a sudden, the banter returned, and there was laughter amidst the sadness”.

“An act unseen by most and unnoticed by others, but these are the things that make the difference between a good and a great player”.

It is clear to see that the skills, values, and teamwork Leanne displays on the field have been replicated off the field in her business role.

She may not get your spin pass up to her level, but when it comes to financial matters she’s the perfect teammate, so get in touch with her for all your financial needs.