Female athletes are caught in a social media dilemma as they risk their mental health to promote their sport says England wing Jess Breach.

“But you have to promote yourself to get brand deals, a following, to help the team and get people watching on TV.”

Breach said she had previously suffered with disordered eating brought on by social media use.

“I got into really bad habits and I started to not eat or skip meals because I thought that was a quick fix to lose weight,” she added, speaking to the O2 Inside Line podcast.

“My training was affected and you just spiral.

“I went home one weekend to see my parents and just broke down. That was a turning point for me and I realised I needed to change.

“I needed to not allow social media and other people’s images [to affect me]. I needed to stop comparing and be comfortable being me.”

Breach believes social media companies also need to do more to prevent sexual harassment online.

“If I was walking down the street and got wolf-whistled or someone said ‘you have got a banging body’, that is sexual harassment,” she said.

“But if you comment that on a picture on social media, nothing. I should feel safe posting on social media and know that I am not going to get hate or abuse from it.”

Saracens’ Breach, who has previously called on her male counterparts to do more online to promote the women’s game, says she feels conflicted about social media.

While she describes it as “quite a bad habit for everyone”, she acknowledges it brings her closer to a growing fanbase.

“Social media is just so important that the younger generation can relate to us,” she added.

“I don’t want to act or portray a certain way that isn’t me or true to me.

“That is what this team does really well, we are very real on our social media accounts, on and off the field.

“As [former England footballer] Alex Scott said after the Women’s [football] Euros, I want to be a ‘real’ model, not a role model.”

Rugby World Cup favourites England play France in the second game of their Rugby World Cup campaign on Saturday.

An Online Safety Bill, which aims to stamp out illegal content and prevent children viewing potentially harmful information and images, may be put up for debate in Parliament in the coming months.