Harlequins 'perfect fit' for Packer after Saracens exit

Harlequins 'perfect fit' for Packer after Saracens exitImage source, Harlequins RFCImage caption, Marlie Packer will join Quins next season after nine years at SaracensBySara OrchardRugby union commentatorPublished5 minutes agoTwo-time Women's Rugby World Cup-winner Marlie Packer has agreed to join Harlequins Women next season, after announcing she is leaving Saracens.Speaking exclusively to BBC Sport, the 36-year-old admitted she had even considered retirement when the 2025-26 campaign was over.But after Saracens told her there was no contract for her to stay at the club, she took it on herself and approached Harlequins before the start of the Women's Six Nations.The draw of Quins' "world class" back row was part of her decision, as she also confirmed her desire to play for the British & Irish Lions in 2027."You've got the back row of Alex Calendar [and] Aoife Wafer - they're world-class back-row players and they're all potential Lions players."Why would I not want to chuck myself in the mix with them, play with them, see how we play off each other, see if [Lions head coach] Jo Yapp suddenly goes, 'oh yeah, that's quite a good combination'?"I don't think I really had my eyes on the Lions, probably, before the Six Nations."Coming off the back of it, I still want to put my hat in the ring for that, and I think moving to Quins definitely does that."Retirement plans shelvedPacker had initially decided that she would retire at the end of this season, although she had not shared this with others.She said a conversation with England head coach John Mitchell, where he "posed a good couple of questions to me", helped her refocus.And with no contract on the table at Saracens, Packer had to act."I'm more of a proactive instead of a reactive kind of person," she said. "Now I've got [son] Oliver and a mortgage, so I got in touch with Harlequins j...