Erika Roe

Erika Roe (born 30th December 1957^[1]), also known as the Twickenham Streaker, is a woman remembered for a topless run across the pitch of Twickenham Stadium near London, England, during an England vs. Australia rugby union match on 2 January 1982. It has been described by the BBC as "perhaps the most famous of all streaks".^[2] Roe, who later attributed the inspiration to alcohol, ran onto the field during half time, exposing her 40-inch (102 cm) breasts.^[3]

Roe and Sarah Bennett, the friend who joined her streak,^[4] were corralled by officials.^{[citation needed]}

Aftermath

While Roe was not the first or the last streaker at an athletic event, in 2007 The Independent of London declared that her "memorable" streak made her a suitable icon to represent all such streakers in their article on sports interruptions.^[5] The event prompted web site Manchester Confidential to dub her "the most famous British streaker."^[6]

Roe's continuing fame saw her appear on the British TV programmes After They Were Famous (1999) and '80s Mania (2001).^[7][8]

She worked at that time in a bookstore in Petersfield, Hampshire, but later moved with her husband and children to Portugal, where, as of 2001, she and her family operated a sweet potato farm.^[9]

In March 2016 she appeared as a contestant on series 3 of The Island with Bear Grylls.^[10] This followed her re-appearance in 2015, to raise awareness for Breast Cancer.^[11][12]

See also

• Streaking