Stephen Jones
ENGLAND women have achieved a Grand Slam in European rugby for the fourth time in five years, in the process clinching their fifth consecutive RBS Six Nations title with an 11-10 victory over France in front of a hostile crowd in Rennes on Friday night. The win conceivably establishes England as favourites for the women's Rugby World Cup, to be played on home soil later in the year.
But this was no easy passage. France had lost earlier in the tournament to Scotland, a team subsequently thrashed 51-0 by England, but urged on by the raucous crowd France gave it everything, leading initially and making light of the dismissal of their leading forward, Claire Canal, who was red-carded at the end of the first half.
France had a chance to cause a remarkable upset when Aurelie Bailon, their fly-half, kicked for goal in the closing stages, but she fell short and England managed to scramble the ball away.
Gary Street, the England head coach, was apparently unflustered at the end. "Even though this was a tough game, victory was never in doubt in my mind. We knew that France would throw everything they had at us, but we showed great character and mental strength to turn this around."
France took an early lead with a penalty from Bailon but England regained their composure and a forward drive by the pack gave them an attacking position. Amy Turner, the scrum-half from Richmond, crossed for the try despite a populous cover defence and it was 5-3 to England at half-time.
They gained breathing space with a penalty by Katy McLean, of Darlington Sharks, but as errors were made in the wet conditions, England dropped the ball in midfield and France launched a thrilling counterattack. French wing Celine Allainmat scored with the loose ball and the conversion by Bailon took France into a 10-8 lead.
At this point, England's composure served them wonderfully well. They were reduced to 14 players when Karen Jones was sent to the sin-bin for a late tackle but McLean added her second penalty to take England into an 11-10 lead and, once Bailon's late kick missed the target, England were able to scrape home.
England had already beaten Wales (31-0), Italy (41-0), Ireland (22-5) and Scotland (51-0) so the Grand Slam was one of the most convincing in the women's game.
Catherine Spencer, the England number eight and captain, who passed 50 caps during the season, was particularly impressed by the team's attitude in the final stages. "We kept our composure and control, the attitude on the pitch was fantastic and when we look back, we can conclude that this was just the tight game we needed. You learn so much more from close games of this sort and you find out about your own weaknesses.
This team wants to improve all the time, and it was good to be in a good contest."
The England players now return to their clubs for the climax of the domestic season before gathering in the summer for a series of squad camps in preparation for the World Cup. The traditional dominance of New Zealand was exploded by England's win over them at Twickenham before Christmas. If the seedings for the World Cup work out as planned, the two teams at the top of the women's game will meet again in what will be a charged final at Twickenham Stoop in August.
Spencer's next priority was more mundane. "Now it is back to work on Monday," she said. This has been an outstanding season for her team, with England producing a series of results that put the exploits of the men's team in the shade. The best news from France is that there was no easy victory, just England glory.
SIX NATIONS PW D L F APts England 5 5 0 0 156 15 10 France 5 3 0 2 97 47 6 Ireland 5 3 0 2 69 52 6 Scotland 5 1 1 3 31 108 3 Wales 4 1 0 3 34 76 2 Italy 4 0 1 3 25 114 1
CAPTION(S):
Up with the cup: England's all-conquering women celebrate their victory in Rennes; Photographer: DAVID ROGERS
Sunday Times (London, England) (March 21, 2010): p5.
Showing posts with label Five/Six Nations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Five/Six Nations. Show all posts
Sunday, 21 March 2010
Sunday, 7 February 2010
IRRESISTIBLE FORCE: With four Six Nations titles in a row, England women are a rugby powerhouse. Three of the star players are policewomen - they talk to OSM about juggling work and play, and where the men have got it wrong.
ANDY BULL
Women's rugby doesn't get a bad press; it gets no press at all. And this despite the fact that England's women have won four Six Nations Championships straight - and were runners-up to New Zealand in the last two World Cups.
Things should change this summer when England will host the women's World Cup for the first time. Sky is covering the semi-finals and final live, and showing highlights of the pool matches. For the England team, it is the opportunity of a lifetime, but it has come at a cost.
Hooker Amy Garnett, 33, and centre Claire Allan, 24, both work full-time as policewomen, Garnett in Newham, east London and Allan in Acton, west London. To play in the World Cup they will each have to take three months unpaid leave. Scrum-half Amy Turner is a community support officer. She has decided to take a year-long unpaid sabbatical to concentrate on the season ahead.
The three get good support from their police colleagues and supervisors, the odd bit of teasing aside ("Sometimes if we have to knock a door down they'll be like, 'Let's take Amy along,'" jokes Garnett), but for a world-class athlete to be burdened with such a heavy workload seems absurd. "Rugby," says Garnett, "pretty much takes up your whole life."
"If you've got a full-time job, it is like having a part-time job on top of that," explains Turner, "because you are looking at anything from eight to 16 hours a week training and playing rugby." Allan, England's full-back, agrees. "It's tough. I remember once when I had a really important league match, I finished a night shift at seven in the morning, had a couple of espressos, went straight to play a game, finished, showered, and then went straight back to work. I played all right in the game but when I was back at work at 3am, I was seeing double."
All three erupt into laughter at the story. They are obviously close friends, which is fortunate, as Garnett points out: "Your social life is sort of zero. We get two weeks off in the summer, but the rest of the time you end up saying no to weddings, birthdays, christenings."
Although women's cricket and football have started to attract more mainstream coverage, rugby is lagging behind. "It is frustrating," says Turner, "because if we had more recognition English fans would be quite chuffed. They'd think, 'Our men aren't in a great place right now but our women are doing well.'"
Garnett is a little less diplomatic. "Sometimes I watch the men and think, 'Oh my God, you're a professional, you get all these hours to train, and you're playing like a bunch of muppets.' I'm a hooker and I practise as much as possible. Some of these guys, you see them and sometimes they couldn't hit a barn door with their throwing." She pauses before adding: "And we're generally a lot better-looking too."
Garnett, who has 81 caps, made her debut in 2000. In that time she has watched the standard of the women's game sky-rocket. "Like a lot of the older girls, I didn't start playing rugby till university. But players now have been playing since they were nippers. Skill-wise, our game has gone through the roof."
Turner started playing when she was five. "I used to watch my older brother play at Kingston rugby club and they had a mixed under-sevens team that I started playing for." Like Garnett, she is one of the more experienced players in a side whose blend of nous and youth has helped it become one of the world's top two teams, alongside world champions New Zealand. "The standard of rugby we are playing now is worlds apart from the 2006 World Cup. We've worked much harder on the core skills - passing, kicking, tackling, decision-making."
"It's a nice balance," agrees Garnett, "very similar to what the men had in 2003." This new confidence was brought about by a 10-3 victory at Twickenham over the All Blacks. Interestingly, the men's and women's national teams are far more integrated there. "In the Sevens World Cup last year the New Zealand men's and women's team were training together," recalls Allan, "which is quite a step forward. We'd love to be more involved with the men in the future." With the odd exception - Wasps fly-half Dave Walder and Josh Lewsey have both worked as club coaches in the women's game - the paths of England's two national teams hardly cross.
Partly that is because the women do not play at Twickenham much. "First we were at St Albans," says Garnett. "Then London Irish," adds Turner. "Then London Welsh," chips in Allan, "and now we're at Esher." Before the win against New Zealand last November, the team had not played at Twickenham since 2006. When they were allowed out onto the turf last November they won a lot of converts. "We don't kick as much as the men," explains Garnett, "we play the more exciting style of rugby because we keep the ball in hand more. It's ambitious. There are big smashes and lots of offloads, it is good fun to watch."
"At times when we had played here before we had not been put on the ticket," points out Garnett. "People did not even know we were playing." For the team, playing more matches in the public eye is important. "You're an English rugby player, you want to be playing your games at Twickenham," says Turner. "We should be the curtain-raisers for the men." It is time the team got a little of the recognition they have long deserved.
Captions:
The Observer (London, England) (Feb 7, 2010): p34.
From left, Amy Turner, Amy Garnett and Claire Allan photogaphed at Twickenham.
Women's rugby doesn't get a bad press; it gets no press at all. And this despite the fact that England's women have won four Six Nations Championships straight - and were runners-up to New Zealand in the last two World Cups.
Things should change this summer when England will host the women's World Cup for the first time. Sky is covering the semi-finals and final live, and showing highlights of the pool matches. For the England team, it is the opportunity of a lifetime, but it has come at a cost.
Hooker Amy Garnett, 33, and centre Claire Allan, 24, both work full-time as policewomen, Garnett in Newham, east London and Allan in Acton, west London. To play in the World Cup they will each have to take three months unpaid leave. Scrum-half Amy Turner is a community support officer. She has decided to take a year-long unpaid sabbatical to concentrate on the season ahead.
The three get good support from their police colleagues and supervisors, the odd bit of teasing aside ("Sometimes if we have to knock a door down they'll be like, 'Let's take Amy along,'" jokes Garnett), but for a world-class athlete to be burdened with such a heavy workload seems absurd. "Rugby," says Garnett, "pretty much takes up your whole life."
"If you've got a full-time job, it is like having a part-time job on top of that," explains Turner, "because you are looking at anything from eight to 16 hours a week training and playing rugby." Allan, England's full-back, agrees. "It's tough. I remember once when I had a really important league match, I finished a night shift at seven in the morning, had a couple of espressos, went straight to play a game, finished, showered, and then went straight back to work. I played all right in the game but when I was back at work at 3am, I was seeing double."
All three erupt into laughter at the story. They are obviously close friends, which is fortunate, as Garnett points out: "Your social life is sort of zero. We get two weeks off in the summer, but the rest of the time you end up saying no to weddings, birthdays, christenings."
Although women's cricket and football have started to attract more mainstream coverage, rugby is lagging behind. "It is frustrating," says Turner, "because if we had more recognition English fans would be quite chuffed. They'd think, 'Our men aren't in a great place right now but our women are doing well.'"
Garnett is a little less diplomatic. "Sometimes I watch the men and think, 'Oh my God, you're a professional, you get all these hours to train, and you're playing like a bunch of muppets.' I'm a hooker and I practise as much as possible. Some of these guys, you see them and sometimes they couldn't hit a barn door with their throwing." She pauses before adding: "And we're generally a lot better-looking too."
Garnett, who has 81 caps, made her debut in 2000. In that time she has watched the standard of the women's game sky-rocket. "Like a lot of the older girls, I didn't start playing rugby till university. But players now have been playing since they were nippers. Skill-wise, our game has gone through the roof."
Turner started playing when she was five. "I used to watch my older brother play at Kingston rugby club and they had a mixed under-sevens team that I started playing for." Like Garnett, she is one of the more experienced players in a side whose blend of nous and youth has helped it become one of the world's top two teams, alongside world champions New Zealand. "The standard of rugby we are playing now is worlds apart from the 2006 World Cup. We've worked much harder on the core skills - passing, kicking, tackling, decision-making."
"It's a nice balance," agrees Garnett, "very similar to what the men had in 2003." This new confidence was brought about by a 10-3 victory at Twickenham over the All Blacks. Interestingly, the men's and women's national teams are far more integrated there. "In the Sevens World Cup last year the New Zealand men's and women's team were training together," recalls Allan, "which is quite a step forward. We'd love to be more involved with the men in the future." With the odd exception - Wasps fly-half Dave Walder and Josh Lewsey have both worked as club coaches in the women's game - the paths of England's two national teams hardly cross.
Partly that is because the women do not play at Twickenham much. "First we were at St Albans," says Garnett. "Then London Irish," adds Turner. "Then London Welsh," chips in Allan, "and now we're at Esher." Before the win against New Zealand last November, the team had not played at Twickenham since 2006. When they were allowed out onto the turf last November they won a lot of converts. "We don't kick as much as the men," explains Garnett, "we play the more exciting style of rugby because we keep the ball in hand more. It's ambitious. There are big smashes and lots of offloads, it is good fun to watch."
"At times when we had played here before we had not been put on the ticket," points out Garnett. "People did not even know we were playing." For the team, playing more matches in the public eye is important. "You're an English rugby player, you want to be playing your games at Twickenham," says Turner. "We should be the curtain-raisers for the men." It is time the team got a little of the recognition they have long deserved.
Captions:
The Observer (London, England) (Feb 7, 2010): p34.
From left, Amy Turner, Amy Garnett and Claire Allan photogaphed at Twickenham.
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
Trying success; Letters to the Editor
Sir, While not wishing to detract from the success of the England women's cricket team (report, April 3), and Claire Taylor in particular, it is a pity that the same coverage is not given to the England women's rugby union team. Since appearing in the last World Cup final, only one match has been lost. That merits more attention.
ros rowley Worthing, W Sussex
The Times (London, England) (April 7, 2009): p25.
ros rowley Worthing, W Sussex
The Times (London, England) (April 7, 2009): p25.
Sunday, 1 March 2009
Unpopular England make no friends in Dublin; There was fear and loathing on the pitch at the women's Six Nations tournament
Peter O'Reilly
WHAT was all that about the bonhomie of Six Nations weekends? There wasn't much of it at Templeville Road on Friday evening when the Ireland and England women's rugby teams got well and truly stuck into each other for 80 minutes and then studiously avoided each other afterwards.
There were tears on one side and smiles on the other - but no hugs or handshakes with the oppo. These girls really don't like each other.
England are generally unpopular, I was told. This probably has something to do with the fact that they came into this year's Six Nations looking for their fourth consecutive grand slam, and definitely has something to do with their cold professionalism. That's real professionalism, by the way - their coach, Gary Street, is full-time, and several of his players are semi-pro, thanks to the RFU ploughing [pounds sterling]2 million of national lottery funds into the women's game each year.
So when 'cocky' England were narrowly beaten 16-15 by Wales two weekends ago, there was general rejoicing amongst the other countries. Ireland sensed an opportunity too. Having won their first two games, against France and Italy, they now had home advantage against a team they had pushed close in a pre-Christmas friendly, also in Dublin.
The English girls looked like they meant business on Friday, though.
Their pre-match defence drills were frightening to behold. "Hit me Amy! Hit me Amy!" screeched one tackle-bag holder. And hit her Amy did. Hard. A whole lot of hitting and screeching going on, so there was.
The national anthems sounded more angelic, though you could see the visitors' patience beginning to wane as they stood through not one Irish anthem but two. This was the 12-inch extended version of Ireland's Call too, including the verse they leave out at the men's games. The Irish coach, Steve Hennessy, was really belting it out, standing shoulder to shoulder with his management staff.
Are a couple of the Irish girls wearing fake tan? England are more physically imposing, however, massive. They start impressively into the wind, off-loading expertly.
Their problem is every time they kick the ball, they kick it to Niamh Briggs, the Irish full-back, who has a beast of a right boot and a small, personal fan club in the crowd of around 500. "Well done, Briggsy," they roar every time she roots the ball 70 metres downfield.
Soon she kicks Ireland into a 3-0 lead and then converts a try by winger Amy Davis. There is bad language in the English huddle.
"We can't let the f***ing intensity drop," someone urges. They don't let it drop, either. Soon Emily Scarratt, their runaway horse of an outside centre, is scoring in the left corner and England are on the scoreboard.
But they are rattled by Ireland's ferocious defence and clever use of the wind. Francesca Matthews, England's blonde right winger, keeps dropping the ball and looks like she's rightly browned off with herself. "You can't just give in!" exhorts fly-half Katy McLean, from the Darlington Mowden Park Sharks. "Come on, Francesca!" Then number eight and captain Catherine Spencer is sin-binned just before the break and Briggsy knocks over the penalty. Ireland are leading 13-5 and looking good.
You can sense England going up a gear after the break, however.
Amy Turner comes on at scrum-half and makes a difference. They put more width on the ball and six minutes into the half, Matthews puts the finishing touches on an exquisite backline move. She is mobbed by her team-mates.
A dirge-like 'Fields of Athenry' breaks out on the terrace, as if Ireland's supporters know trouble is brewing. Midway through the half, Matthews scores again and England take the lead for the first time.
Ireland are game but there is only one possible result. By the end, they do well to hold England to a 29-13 victory, for points difference may play a part in this championship.
While the Irish players went to applaud their supporters, skipper Joy Neville had media interviews to attend to. "We played a wicked first half but we need to work on our defence," she said. "I don't know if we over-committed to the rucks but they kept catching us out wide..
They adapted their game-plan at the break and we didn't react. But we've learnt from that." Meanwhile, England were doing their post-match stretching routine in the middle of the pitch and sipping recovery drinks. Somehow you couldn't see the two sets of girls mingling for a sing-song and a pint later that evening.
Sunday Times (London, England) (March 1, 2009): p4
WHAT was all that about the bonhomie of Six Nations weekends? There wasn't much of it at Templeville Road on Friday evening when the Ireland and England women's rugby teams got well and truly stuck into each other for 80 minutes and then studiously avoided each other afterwards.
There were tears on one side and smiles on the other - but no hugs or handshakes with the oppo. These girls really don't like each other.
England are generally unpopular, I was told. This probably has something to do with the fact that they came into this year's Six Nations looking for their fourth consecutive grand slam, and definitely has something to do with their cold professionalism. That's real professionalism, by the way - their coach, Gary Street, is full-time, and several of his players are semi-pro, thanks to the RFU ploughing [pounds sterling]2 million of national lottery funds into the women's game each year.
So when 'cocky' England were narrowly beaten 16-15 by Wales two weekends ago, there was general rejoicing amongst the other countries. Ireland sensed an opportunity too. Having won their first two games, against France and Italy, they now had home advantage against a team they had pushed close in a pre-Christmas friendly, also in Dublin.
The English girls looked like they meant business on Friday, though.
Their pre-match defence drills were frightening to behold. "Hit me Amy! Hit me Amy!" screeched one tackle-bag holder. And hit her Amy did. Hard. A whole lot of hitting and screeching going on, so there was.
The national anthems sounded more angelic, though you could see the visitors' patience beginning to wane as they stood through not one Irish anthem but two. This was the 12-inch extended version of Ireland's Call too, including the verse they leave out at the men's games. The Irish coach, Steve Hennessy, was really belting it out, standing shoulder to shoulder with his management staff.
Are a couple of the Irish girls wearing fake tan? England are more physically imposing, however, massive. They start impressively into the wind, off-loading expertly.
Their problem is every time they kick the ball, they kick it to Niamh Briggs, the Irish full-back, who has a beast of a right boot and a small, personal fan club in the crowd of around 500. "Well done, Briggsy," they roar every time she roots the ball 70 metres downfield.
Soon she kicks Ireland into a 3-0 lead and then converts a try by winger Amy Davis. There is bad language in the English huddle.
"We can't let the f***ing intensity drop," someone urges. They don't let it drop, either. Soon Emily Scarratt, their runaway horse of an outside centre, is scoring in the left corner and England are on the scoreboard.
But they are rattled by Ireland's ferocious defence and clever use of the wind. Francesca Matthews, England's blonde right winger, keeps dropping the ball and looks like she's rightly browned off with herself. "You can't just give in!" exhorts fly-half Katy McLean, from the Darlington Mowden Park Sharks. "Come on, Francesca!" Then number eight and captain Catherine Spencer is sin-binned just before the break and Briggsy knocks over the penalty. Ireland are leading 13-5 and looking good.
You can sense England going up a gear after the break, however.
Amy Turner comes on at scrum-half and makes a difference. They put more width on the ball and six minutes into the half, Matthews puts the finishing touches on an exquisite backline move. She is mobbed by her team-mates.
A dirge-like 'Fields of Athenry' breaks out on the terrace, as if Ireland's supporters know trouble is brewing. Midway through the half, Matthews scores again and England take the lead for the first time.
Ireland are game but there is only one possible result. By the end, they do well to hold England to a 29-13 victory, for points difference may play a part in this championship.
While the Irish players went to applaud their supporters, skipper Joy Neville had media interviews to attend to. "We played a wicked first half but we need to work on our defence," she said. "I don't know if we over-committed to the rucks but they kept catching us out wide..
They adapted their game-plan at the break and we didn't react. But we've learnt from that." Meanwhile, England were doing their post-match stretching routine in the middle of the pitch and sipping recovery drinks. Somehow you couldn't see the two sets of girls mingling for a sing-song and a pint later that evening.
Sunday Times (London, England) (March 1, 2009): p4
Tuesday, 20 March 2007
Forgotten stars; Letter.
Sir, On Saturday England women's rugby team were crowned RBS Six Nations Grand Slam champions for the second consecutive year. I watched a tightly fought game against Wales and picked up your paper on Monday expecting at least a mention of their success, but nothing.
What hope is there for English sport when we give more attention to boozed-up "stars" throwing away their opportunities than amateurs who give their all?
Susan Francombe
St Albans
The Times (London, England) (March 20, 2007): p16
What hope is there for English sport when we give more attention to boozed-up "stars" throwing away their opportunities than amateurs who give their all?
Susan Francombe
St Albans
The Times (London, England) (March 20, 2007): p16
Saturday, 17 March 2007
England chase title
Rugby union England will achieve their second grand slam in successive seasons if they beat Wales in the women's international in Taffs Well today. Sue Day leads an unchanged XV against a Wales side who have lost once in this year's championship, to France, and are celebrating 20 years of international women's rugby in the Principality.
The Times (London, England) (March 17, 2007): p107.
The Times (London, England) (March 17, 2007): p107.
Sunday, 11 March 2007
Scotland; Women's rugby union
SCOTLAND suffered their third loss in four RBS Six Nations matches when they went down 18-6 to Ireland at Meggetland in Edinburgh.
The Irish opened the scoring with a penalty from Jo O'Sullivan and a Sarahjane Belton try gave them an 8-6 half-time lead. Ireland dominated the second half with tries from Jeannette Feighery and Lynne Cantwell sealing their first win of the season.
Sunday Times (London, England) (March 11, 2007): p20.
The Irish opened the scoring with a penalty from Jo O'Sullivan and a Sarahjane Belton try gave them an 8-6 half-time lead. Ireland dominated the second half with tries from Jeannette Feighery and Lynne Cantwell sealing their first win of the season.
Sunday Times (London, England) (March 11, 2007): p20.
Sunday, 25 February 2007
Scotland's women
SCOTLAND'S women fought back to beat Italy 26-6 in Edinburgh with Lucy Millard grabbing three tries. The visitors took an early lead from a Michela Tondinelli penalty, but the Scots battled back with tries from Millard, converted by Lynsey Harley, and Erin Kerr. The Italians responded with a second penalty in the first-half, but the hosts dominated after the break.
Sunday Times (London, England) (Feb 25, 2007): p26.
Sunday Times (London, England) (Feb 25, 2007): p26.
Saturday, 4 February 2006
Scotland looking for Murrayfield inspiration to beat the auld enemy
Hilary Weale
With a World Cup later this year, England, Scotland and France will be hoping to give their campaigns a boost with a grand-slam triumph, while Wales have something to prove after coming last in 2005 HAVING botched three attempts at winning the grand slam, England's men clinched it in 2003, getting their World Cup year off to the start it needed. In view of this, it is easy to understand that Geoff Richards, the England women's coach, considers this season's Six Nations in a wider context.
"We're hoping to win the grand slam. In World Cup year that's an important goal because if you're not going to win the Six Nations, it diminishes your chances of winning the World Cup."
The World Cup takes place in Edmonton, Canada, this summer and it has given incentive to the teams in the Six Nations to perform well. Running parallel to the men's tournament, the women follow the same fixture list, the difference being the inclusion of Spain rather than Italy.
The competition is vital for the development of the women's game, and for the Scots to play their home match against England at Murrayfield straight after the male counterparts have finished their battle should help to bring it to a bigger audience. Gil Stevenson, the Scotland coach, said: "It's always a thrill for them (the players) to play at the national stadium. What we hope is that they can continue to raise the profile of the game."
That England are playing their home matches in the more humble surroundings of Old Albanians RFC does not worry Richards unduly: "We have played at Twickenham in recent years, and it's wonderful (for the players) to play for their country at the home of rugby. But sometimes it doesn't help our grassroots supporters, because they don't have access to Six Nations tickets."
Venues aside, there are some intriguing sub-plots to some of the fixtures. Spain are in the same group as Scotland in the World Cup, so the result of that tie on the last weekend of the tournament will have resonance. The Scots are probably the third strongest team in the competition, and rather than playing any matches in the autumn, were saving themselves for a warm-up match against the United States last month, which they lost 13-6. Hardly the best preparation for playing France next. In Donna Kennedy, the No 8, they boast the most-capped female XVs player in the world, and the most-capped Scotland player, her 84 caps surpassing Gregor Townsend's tally.
It is always tight between Wales, Ireland and Spain. Wales, who finished bottom last year, have a new coaching team in Fielies Coetsee and Jason Lewis, but are still smarting from their failure to qualify for the World Cup, so will be out to prove a point.
Last year, France were crowned queens of Europe, their three-point win over England being the crucial result. Losing their two matches against New Zealand in October has made England all the more determined to better their second place of last year.
Richards points out that there are some world-class players in the side, among them Jo Yapp, the captain and scrum half, as well as young players blooded recently, such as Alice Richardson, the fly half, who give the squad strength in depth.
Winning is vital, but Richards has an additional hope: "I just wish more people would come and watch women's rugby. I think for the time and effort and quality rugby they produce, it's a great spectacle, and I think people would be pleasantly surprised if they came and watched."
Donna Kennedy is the most experienced woman player in the world with 84 caps
The Times (London, England) (Feb 4, 2006): p41
With a World Cup later this year, England, Scotland and France will be hoping to give their campaigns a boost with a grand-slam triumph, while Wales have something to prove after coming last in 2005 HAVING botched three attempts at winning the grand slam, England's men clinched it in 2003, getting their World Cup year off to the start it needed. In view of this, it is easy to understand that Geoff Richards, the England women's coach, considers this season's Six Nations in a wider context.
"We're hoping to win the grand slam. In World Cup year that's an important goal because if you're not going to win the Six Nations, it diminishes your chances of winning the World Cup."
The World Cup takes place in Edmonton, Canada, this summer and it has given incentive to the teams in the Six Nations to perform well. Running parallel to the men's tournament, the women follow the same fixture list, the difference being the inclusion of Spain rather than Italy.
The competition is vital for the development of the women's game, and for the Scots to play their home match against England at Murrayfield straight after the male counterparts have finished their battle should help to bring it to a bigger audience. Gil Stevenson, the Scotland coach, said: "It's always a thrill for them (the players) to play at the national stadium. What we hope is that they can continue to raise the profile of the game."
That England are playing their home matches in the more humble surroundings of Old Albanians RFC does not worry Richards unduly: "We have played at Twickenham in recent years, and it's wonderful (for the players) to play for their country at the home of rugby. But sometimes it doesn't help our grassroots supporters, because they don't have access to Six Nations tickets."
Venues aside, there are some intriguing sub-plots to some of the fixtures. Spain are in the same group as Scotland in the World Cup, so the result of that tie on the last weekend of the tournament will have resonance. The Scots are probably the third strongest team in the competition, and rather than playing any matches in the autumn, were saving themselves for a warm-up match against the United States last month, which they lost 13-6. Hardly the best preparation for playing France next. In Donna Kennedy, the No 8, they boast the most-capped female XVs player in the world, and the most-capped Scotland player, her 84 caps surpassing Gregor Townsend's tally.
It is always tight between Wales, Ireland and Spain. Wales, who finished bottom last year, have a new coaching team in Fielies Coetsee and Jason Lewis, but are still smarting from their failure to qualify for the World Cup, so will be out to prove a point.
Last year, France were crowned queens of Europe, their three-point win over England being the crucial result. Losing their two matches against New Zealand in October has made England all the more determined to better their second place of last year.
Richards points out that there are some world-class players in the side, among them Jo Yapp, the captain and scrum half, as well as young players blooded recently, such as Alice Richardson, the fly half, who give the squad strength in depth.
Winning is vital, but Richards has an additional hope: "I just wish more people would come and watch women's rugby. I think for the time and effort and quality rugby they produce, it's a great spectacle, and I think people would be pleasantly surprised if they came and watched."
Donna Kennedy is the most experienced woman player in the world with 84 caps
The Times (London, England) (Feb 4, 2006): p41
Saturday, 5 February 2005
Ireland's women
DESPITE outscoring their hosts Spain by three tries to one, Ireland's women lost 19-17 in their Six Nations opening match in Madrid yesterday.
Ulster firefighter Suzanne Fleming led a recovery by the Philip Doyle-coached Irish, bagging two second-half tries, but it was not enough as Spanish centre Ines Etxeguibel Alberdi's three drop goals and a penalty sealed the home win.
The Irish, who picked up their first Six Nations win on the same Ciudad Universitaria ground two years ago, gave away too much possession in the early stages and were down 13-0 at the break. Fleming's brace got them back in touch at 16-12 but with UL Bohs wing Lynne Cantwell's late effort going unconverted, Kepa Ancin's charges claimed the spoils
Sunday Times (London, England) (Feb 6, 2005): p26.
Ulster firefighter Suzanne Fleming led a recovery by the Philip Doyle-coached Irish, bagging two second-half tries, but it was not enough as Spanish centre Ines Etxeguibel Alberdi's three drop goals and a penalty sealed the home win.
The Irish, who picked up their first Six Nations win on the same Ciudad Universitaria ground two years ago, gave away too much possession in the early stages and were down 13-0 at the break. Fleming's brace got them back in touch at 16-12 but with UL Bohs wing Lynne Cantwell's late effort going unconverted, Kepa Ancin's charges claimed the spoils
Sunday Times (London, England) (Feb 6, 2005): p26.
Thursday, 20 January 2005
Teenage dream
THE growing popularity of women's rugby is reflected in the announcement of a youthful England team
for the Six Nations opener against Wales on Feb 4 in Cardiff. Six squad members are under 23, including Michaela Staniford (pictured), who will become
the youngest England international when she appears at outside centre.
The A-level student learned the game at Rickmansworth School and Fullerians, before joining the East Durham and Houghall Community College academy .
"Michaela is a natural footballer and very talented," Geoff Richards, the England coach, said. "Of course, she's inexperienced, but with the World Cup 18 months away now is the time for young players like her to get their chance."
Staniford will be 18 years and 24 days old when she plays against Wales, beating scrum-half Danielle Waterman, 43 days older when she won her first cap two years ago.
Richards believes the growth in women's rugby at clubs and schools has built a pool of far better players. In the past, women tended to start the game at university.
Daily Telegraph (London, England) (Jan 20, 2005)
for the Six Nations opener against Wales on Feb 4 in Cardiff. Six squad members are under 23, including Michaela Staniford (pictured), who will become
the youngest England international when she appears at outside centre.
The A-level student learned the game at Rickmansworth School and Fullerians, before joining the East Durham and Houghall Community College academy .
"Michaela is a natural footballer and very talented," Geoff Richards, the England coach, said. "Of course, she's inexperienced, but with the World Cup 18 months away now is the time for young players like her to get their chance."
Staniford will be 18 years and 24 days old when she plays against Wales, beating scrum-half Danielle Waterman, 43 days older when she won her first cap two years ago.
Richards believes the growth in women's rugby at clubs and schools has built a pool of far better players. In the past, women tended to start the game at university.
Daily Telegraph (London, England) (Jan 20, 2005)
Monday, 18 February 2002
Experience counts for women
David Hands
England 79, Ireland 0
ENGLAND achieved their ambition of a clean sheet in the women's Six Nations at Worcester yesterday against a side still desperately trying to find their feet at this level. But, for all the pleasure in a 13-try performance, there are plenty of areas to work on before the World Cup in May.
The countries do not occupy the same playing field in experience, physique or resources and it showed. Ireland, despite famous names in Rosie Foley (sister of the men's No 8, Anthony) and Rachel Tucker (whose father, Colm, also played for Ireland) are still building. Chris Diver led the rout with four tries. France, on March 1, will be a more demanding test.
SCORERS: England: Tries: Garnett (1min), De Biase (3), Diver 4 (10, 27, 40, 80), Crawford 2 (16, 68), Yapp (37), George 2 (39, 65), Feltham (70), Day (73). Conversions: Frost 6, Rae.
SCORING SEQUENCE (England first): 7-0, 12-0, 17-0, 22-0, 29-0, 36-0, 43-0, 50 0 (half-time), 57-0, 62-0, 67-0, 72-0, 79-0.
ENGLAND: P George (Wasps, captain; rep: E Feltham, Richmond, 66); N Crawford (Worcester), S Day (Wasps), A de Biase (Saracens; rep: S Rudge, Clifton, 51), C Diver (Richmond); S Appleby (Clifton), J Yapp (Worcester; rep: S Rae, Wasps, 68); S Whitehead (Richmond; rep: V Huxford, Wasps, 47), A Garnett (Saracens; rep: A O'Flynn, Waterloo, 31), M Edwards (Richmond), J Sutton (Richmond; rep: G Burns, Waterloo, 61), K Henderson (Clifton), J Phillips (Saracens), H Clayton (Saracens; rep: G Stevens, Clifton, 66), C Frost
(Saracens).
IRELAND: S-J Belton (UL Bohemian); S Fleming (Cooke, captain), P Kelly (UL Bohemian; rep: R Tucker, Shannon, 16-20), R Boyd (Cooke), F Neary (Waterloo; rep: L Cantwell, UL Bohemians, 40); N Milne (Worcester), K Eagleson (Cooke; rep: R Howell, UL Bohemians, 64); M Coulter (Blackrock College), E Collins (UL Bohemian; rep: J Longergan, Shannon, 64), E Coen (Highfield; rep: G McAllister, Cooke, 49), M Quirke (UL Bohemian; rep: R Foley, Shannon, 57), A-M McAllister (Blackrock College), R Reid (Cooke; rep: B Montgomery, Rippon, 57), F Steed (Shannon), E Wessell (Richmond).
Referee: S Cortabarria (Spain).
The Times (London, England) (Feb 18, 2002): p32
England 79, Ireland 0
ENGLAND achieved their ambition of a clean sheet in the women's Six Nations at Worcester yesterday against a side still desperately trying to find their feet at this level. But, for all the pleasure in a 13-try performance, there are plenty of areas to work on before the World Cup in May.
The countries do not occupy the same playing field in experience, physique or resources and it showed. Ireland, despite famous names in Rosie Foley (sister of the men's No 8, Anthony) and Rachel Tucker (whose father, Colm, also played for Ireland) are still building. Chris Diver led the rout with four tries. France, on March 1, will be a more demanding test.
SCORERS: England: Tries: Garnett (1min), De Biase (3), Diver 4 (10, 27, 40, 80), Crawford 2 (16, 68), Yapp (37), George 2 (39, 65), Feltham (70), Day (73). Conversions: Frost 6, Rae.
SCORING SEQUENCE (England first): 7-0, 12-0, 17-0, 22-0, 29-0, 36-0, 43-0, 50 0 (half-time), 57-0, 62-0, 67-0, 72-0, 79-0.
ENGLAND: P George (Wasps, captain; rep: E Feltham, Richmond, 66); N Crawford (Worcester), S Day (Wasps), A de Biase (Saracens; rep: S Rudge, Clifton, 51), C Diver (Richmond); S Appleby (Clifton), J Yapp (Worcester; rep: S Rae, Wasps, 68); S Whitehead (Richmond; rep: V Huxford, Wasps, 47), A Garnett (Saracens; rep: A O'Flynn, Waterloo, 31), M Edwards (Richmond), J Sutton (Richmond; rep: G Burns, Waterloo, 61), K Henderson (Clifton), J Phillips (Saracens), H Clayton (Saracens; rep: G Stevens, Clifton, 66), C Frost
(Saracens).
IRELAND: S-J Belton (UL Bohemian); S Fleming (Cooke, captain), P Kelly (UL Bohemian; rep: R Tucker, Shannon, 16-20), R Boyd (Cooke), F Neary (Waterloo; rep: L Cantwell, UL Bohemians, 40); N Milne (Worcester), K Eagleson (Cooke; rep: R Howell, UL Bohemians, 64); M Coulter (Blackrock College), E Collins (UL Bohemian; rep: J Longergan, Shannon, 64), E Coen (Highfield; rep: G McAllister, Cooke, 49), M Quirke (UL Bohemian; rep: R Foley, Shannon, 57), A-M McAllister (Blackrock College), R Reid (Cooke; rep: B Montgomery, Rippon, 57), F Steed (Shannon), E Wessell (Richmond).
Referee: S Cortabarria (Spain).
The Times (London, England) (Feb 18, 2002): p32
Sunday, 13 May 2001
Lively women's movement; Richmond and Wasps revisit HQ for today's other final
SO HISTORY repeats itself. The last time two senior women's rugby teams appeared at Twickenham was in 1987. On that occasion Wasps were the victors and Richmond lost out.
Now, 14 years down the line, the same two clubs contest the RFUW Rugby World National Cup final at HQ, as a curtain-raiser to the main event, the Zurich Championship final.
But other things have changed. For a start there is now a full-blown Six Nations tournament for women, some of which was shown on television last year; this season's tournament, sadly, went largely unrecognised by broadcasters.
"It was probably because England did not start the tournament too well," said Nicki Jupp, who plays in the centre for Richmond, the cup holders, and England. In fact she was wrong. Sky wanted to be there, but there were organisational problems, which meant among other things that that there was no guaranteed foreign coverage. But as is so often the case with minor sports, when TV does not cover something, the rest of the media tends to overlook it as well.
Yet overall Jupp believes the profile of the women's game has been raised, and Paula George agrees. Shortly before high noon today the England captain will lead Wasps out on to the hallowed turf for another historic step on the long road to serious sporting recognition. Since that first flirtation with Twickenham there have been women's matches at the stadium, but only at student level, and George said: "This is really important for the women's game. It is an indication that we have been accepted into the upper echelons of rugby union. In 1990 I played at Cardiff Arms Park, and I have been waiting for the time when I could do so at Twickenham."
As shop windows go, this one is not so bad. The Rugby Football Union are bracing themselves to cope with a crowd of up to 50,000 for the two matches, and if the weather holds that is not an unrealistic expectation. And since these are two of the top four women's sides in England at present - the other two being Saracens and Clifton - who have been equally matched in the Premiership this season, there is every chance of a feast of quality rugby.
It is certainly what George is expecting from her crew. "We pride ourselves on our handling game and we try to play 15-woman rugby," she claimed. "We have a really exciting back-line. There is Lou Latter on the wing and our fly-half, Shelley Rae, who can place-kick with either foot. In fact in a recent club match this season Shelley bruised the big toe on her right foot and so kicked four successful conversions with her left. There are not many men who could do that."
Jupp countered with a list of Richmond's pluses, including Spain's scrum-half, Roccia Ramirez, and their wing Emily Feltham: "She will be the fastest person on the field, and on the other wing we have Jen Dickson, who is very quick, but also very skilful."
And provided Sky commentator Dewi Morris, the former England (men's) scrum-half, likes what he sees and persuades the viewers that the product is good, then the women's game may be able to square the vicious circle that has left them without serious long-term backing.
"We need backing to develop, but until we get the media coverage we won't attract sponsors," said Jupp. Not that the women's game is totally bereft of backers. England players do not have to fork out for quite as much as they used to, as George explained: "We used to have to buy our England shirt if we wanted to keep it, otherwise we had to hand it back. Now at least we are given a shirt, albeit for the season. But we still have some way to go to catch up with the England men, who are given two shirts per match."
No one would be advised to put their shirt on the result of this match, however. The last time these two sides met, 10 days ago in a Premiership game, Wasps, having trailed 0-8, came back to win 10-8. They lost the first meeting of the season, though, by a try.
"It will be close," said George. "Whoever gets on with it and does not dwell on the fact that television is there and it is Twickenham will have an advantage. I am going to tell my players that it is just another game, on just another pitch, and ignore the fact that it is an historic moment for the senior women's game."
Jupp is looking to the past for omens for today. Not the past of 14 years ago, but rather that of last season. She explained: "Last year we lost to Clifton in the league but went on to beat them in the cup, so I am hoping that history may be repeating itself." Which is where we came in.
The Independent on Sunday (London, England) (May 13, 2001): p12
Now, 14 years down the line, the same two clubs contest the RFUW Rugby World National Cup final at HQ, as a curtain-raiser to the main event, the Zurich Championship final.
But other things have changed. For a start there is now a full-blown Six Nations tournament for women, some of which was shown on television last year; this season's tournament, sadly, went largely unrecognised by broadcasters.
"It was probably because England did not start the tournament too well," said Nicki Jupp, who plays in the centre for Richmond, the cup holders, and England. In fact she was wrong. Sky wanted to be there, but there were organisational problems, which meant among other things that that there was no guaranteed foreign coverage. But as is so often the case with minor sports, when TV does not cover something, the rest of the media tends to overlook it as well.
Yet overall Jupp believes the profile of the women's game has been raised, and Paula George agrees. Shortly before high noon today the England captain will lead Wasps out on to the hallowed turf for another historic step on the long road to serious sporting recognition. Since that first flirtation with Twickenham there have been women's matches at the stadium, but only at student level, and George said: "This is really important for the women's game. It is an indication that we have been accepted into the upper echelons of rugby union. In 1990 I played at Cardiff Arms Park, and I have been waiting for the time when I could do so at Twickenham."
As shop windows go, this one is not so bad. The Rugby Football Union are bracing themselves to cope with a crowd of up to 50,000 for the two matches, and if the weather holds that is not an unrealistic expectation. And since these are two of the top four women's sides in England at present - the other two being Saracens and Clifton - who have been equally matched in the Premiership this season, there is every chance of a feast of quality rugby.
It is certainly what George is expecting from her crew. "We pride ourselves on our handling game and we try to play 15-woman rugby," she claimed. "We have a really exciting back-line. There is Lou Latter on the wing and our fly-half, Shelley Rae, who can place-kick with either foot. In fact in a recent club match this season Shelley bruised the big toe on her right foot and so kicked four successful conversions with her left. There are not many men who could do that."
Jupp countered with a list of Richmond's pluses, including Spain's scrum-half, Roccia Ramirez, and their wing Emily Feltham: "She will be the fastest person on the field, and on the other wing we have Jen Dickson, who is very quick, but also very skilful."
And provided Sky commentator Dewi Morris, the former England (men's) scrum-half, likes what he sees and persuades the viewers that the product is good, then the women's game may be able to square the vicious circle that has left them without serious long-term backing.
"We need backing to develop, but until we get the media coverage we won't attract sponsors," said Jupp. Not that the women's game is totally bereft of backers. England players do not have to fork out for quite as much as they used to, as George explained: "We used to have to buy our England shirt if we wanted to keep it, otherwise we had to hand it back. Now at least we are given a shirt, albeit for the season. But we still have some way to go to catch up with the England men, who are given two shirts per match."
No one would be advised to put their shirt on the result of this match, however. The last time these two sides met, 10 days ago in a Premiership game, Wasps, having trailed 0-8, came back to win 10-8. They lost the first meeting of the season, though, by a try.
"It will be close," said George. "Whoever gets on with it and does not dwell on the fact that television is there and it is Twickenham will have an advantage. I am going to tell my players that it is just another game, on just another pitch, and ignore the fact that it is an historic moment for the senior women's game."
Jupp is looking to the past for omens for today. Not the past of 14 years ago, but rather that of last season. She explained: "Last year we lost to Clifton in the league but went on to beat them in the cup, so I am hoping that history may be repeating itself." Which is where we came in.
The Independent on Sunday (London, England) (May 13, 2001): p12
Thursday, 13 April 2000
England v Scotland
Meanwhile...(Sport).
The England Women's rugby team defeated Scotland 64-9 in Edinburgh to complete their second successive Grand Slam... Midlander Karl Keska finished second in his 10,000m debut in the European Challenge in Lisbon last night... Spain's Miguel Angel Perdiguero edged out Laurent Jalabert to win the second Miguel Indurain Grand Prix... Ford driver Colin McRae led fellow Briton Richard Burns by 3.3 seconds after the eighth stage on the Catalunya Rally... Chris Byrd pulled off a surprise win to claim the WBO heavyweight title after Ukraine's Vitali Klitschko quit with an injured shoulder at the start the tenth.
The Independent on Sunday (London, England) (April 2, 2000): p17.
England serve a tasty treat
THE England women's rugby team ripped their Scotland opponents to shreds to claim an emphatic 64-9 victory at Murrayfield on Saturday.
Wonderfully destructive in the tackle and ruinous on the break, England inflicted on Scotland their second-highest defeat and the measure of their superiority was such that they could have beaten the 76-0 margin set by New Zealand against the Scots two years ago. As it was, they seemed more concerned with flinging on every available substitute in the closing minutes.
Chris Diver and Nicola Jupp scored a hat-trick of tries each, while Selina Rudge, Jenny Foster, Jenny Sutton and Emily Feltham were the other scorers. Foster sent over four conversions with Diver kicking three as Scotland's haul was restricted to three penalties by Paula Chalmers.
The Times (London, England) (April 3, 2000): p37.
The England Women's rugby team defeated Scotland 64-9 in Edinburgh to complete their second successive Grand Slam... Midlander Karl Keska finished second in his 10,000m debut in the European Challenge in Lisbon last night... Spain's Miguel Angel Perdiguero edged out Laurent Jalabert to win the second Miguel Indurain Grand Prix... Ford driver Colin McRae led fellow Briton Richard Burns by 3.3 seconds after the eighth stage on the Catalunya Rally... Chris Byrd pulled off a surprise win to claim the WBO heavyweight title after Ukraine's Vitali Klitschko quit with an injured shoulder at the start the tenth.
The Independent on Sunday (London, England) (April 2, 2000): p17.
England serve a tasty treat
THE England women's rugby team ripped their Scotland opponents to shreds to claim an emphatic 64-9 victory at Murrayfield on Saturday.
Wonderfully destructive in the tackle and ruinous on the break, England inflicted on Scotland their second-highest defeat and the measure of their superiority was such that they could have beaten the 76-0 margin set by New Zealand against the Scots two years ago. As it was, they seemed more concerned with flinging on every available substitute in the closing minutes.
Chris Diver and Nicola Jupp scored a hat-trick of tries each, while Selina Rudge, Jenny Foster, Jenny Sutton and Emily Feltham were the other scorers. Foster sent over four conversions with Diver kicking three as Scotland's haul was restricted to three penalties by Paula Chalmers.
The Times (London, England) (April 3, 2000): p37.
Sunday, 26 March 2000
Rugby Union - March of Paula's army; Alan Hubbard finds that England's women rugby players are matching the men's achievements.
SHOULD ENGLAND beat Scotland next week and secure rugby union's Grand Slam, doubtless they will celebrate by singing a few bawdy songs, throwing their coach into the bath and doing their best to get blotto in the bar. Ah well, girls will be girls.
It isn't just Matt Dawson's men who will be behaving much like rugby players are expected to behave should success come their way at Murrayfield on Sunday. Twenty- four hours earlier, Paula George will be happy if there is a modest outburst of unladylike horseplay down the road in Edinburgh at Stewart's Melville, where her women's team also take on the Scots in what could be the first leg of an historic double.
"Yeah, we'll be having a few beers and a bit of a knees-up if we win," says the 31-year-old captain and full-back, who hopes to be leading her team to triumph in their own Five Nations Tournament for the second successive year. "Rugby's a bit like that. You train hard, play hard and go out and enjoy yourselves."
Enjoyment did not seem that high on the agenda on a sunny morning at Bisham last week, though, where 45 of England's finest female ruckers and maulers had gathered for their final full-scale preparation. It wasn't for the faint-hearted, on the field or off. "C'mon guys, crouch, sink, hit, two-three-four," came the shouted command as the burly front row thudded their shoulders into the scrum machine, aptly labelled Rhino. When push comes to shove, England's lady forwards are an intimidating bunch and, judging from the liberally sprinkled fruity expletives, there isn't too much they could learn from their male counterparts about the niceties of the game.
Across the park, things were slightly more decorous as the willowy George and the backs practised some impressive running, passing and dummying under the tuition of head coach Peter Kennedy, who shares his duties between the England women and Exeter Chiefs. Like Steve Redfern, ex-Leicester and England, who looks after the forwards, Kennedy admires the endeavour and application of these women in the roughest of team sports. "They are prepared to listen and take things on board," he says. "They are quick learners and always want to do the right thing. They're great to coach."
No one argues any more that rugby shouldn't be a game for girls. It is now one of the two fastest- growing sporting activities among females, the other being football. And while women's football talks of going professional in 2003, women's rugby, in a way, is already there. "If you like, we're professional with a small `p'," says the Twickenham-based women's RFU performance director, Carol Isherwood, a former Great Britain captain and the country's top female coach. "We have 35 players on Lottery funding, which means they only need to work part-time." Three of the elite squad are married; one to an Army major, and another has a 15-year-old son. The rest are the usual collection of PE teachers, physios and students. There are two policewomen and a firefighter, and one of the front row works for a brewery. The hooker, Nicky Ponsford, with 42 caps, is an administrator with Sport England.
Nationwide, there are 270 women's teams, including those attached to illustrious clubs such as Wasps, Saracens, Harlequins and Richmond, with around 6,000 players. There are half-a-dozen leagues, two cup competitions and 60 youth sections. An active recruitment programme in schools, says Isherwood, will help transform a game that has been essentially middle- class because of its genesis in universities. Meantime, they will be lucky to muster a crowd of more than a few hundred in Edinburgh on Saturday, though in France, where they take women's sport far more seriously, some 4,000 watched them beat the French 24-18. Victories over Spain (31- 7) and Wales (51-0) have put England in pole position for the Grand Slam.
The women's game would love a higher profile, though they'll probably stop short of posing topless or spraying on the body paint to get themselves in the public prints. Anyway, scrum caps don't do much for sex appeal and those blood-red lips come by courtesy of Lonsdale gumshields rather than Revlon.
The nearest women's rugby has got to the tabloid treatment came when one of the sport's sponsors attempted a hard sell with a survey among the players which asked the question: "Who would you most like to snog?" Nicky Jupp, the centre, who, according to the survey, "at 6ft and a slim size 12 turns the heads with her good looks", said she could not decide between Brad Pitt and Keanu Reeves.
There's a popular misconception that women's rugby is all butch and biceps. There's a flavour of that, but by and large it is a game played, if not always with a degree of elegance, at least with zest and dash. There's the odd broken collarbone and torn ligament, but no history of serious injury in the 20 years women have been playing the game. Isher-wood admits: "Some of the games can be a bit brutal, though there's a place for this with women just as there is with men. You need to be a certain type to play it, but then you do if you are a guy. Basically, what attracts the girls to the game is the same thing that attracts the men."
George agrees. "Physically, I can't think of a harder sport for women. For me it is the most complete sport and I've played all of them, from netball to hockey. Nothing has the same excitement, the same pace, requires you to make decisions under pressure, or more all-round skills." In the women's game, she is likened to Jeremy Guscott. Fast and flamboyant, she has played everywhere from full-back to flanker for her club, Wasps.
She works one day a week, teaching PE and A-level psychology at a Middlesex school and has an American father, Scottish mother and was born in Wales. A maternal grandmother gives her qualification for England, so there is no question over eligibility. Like most, she was converted to the sport "as a bit of a dare" at university. That was 11 years ago. Now she is about to collect her 40th England cap. "If someone asked me whether there's anything I would like to change in my life, I couldn't think of anything. It may sound strange, but when I play rugby, I'm living my dream."
The Independent on Sunday (London, England) (March 26, 2000): p18.
It isn't just Matt Dawson's men who will be behaving much like rugby players are expected to behave should success come their way at Murrayfield on Sunday. Twenty- four hours earlier, Paula George will be happy if there is a modest outburst of unladylike horseplay down the road in Edinburgh at Stewart's Melville, where her women's team also take on the Scots in what could be the first leg of an historic double.
"Yeah, we'll be having a few beers and a bit of a knees-up if we win," says the 31-year-old captain and full-back, who hopes to be leading her team to triumph in their own Five Nations Tournament for the second successive year. "Rugby's a bit like that. You train hard, play hard and go out and enjoy yourselves."
Enjoyment did not seem that high on the agenda on a sunny morning at Bisham last week, though, where 45 of England's finest female ruckers and maulers had gathered for their final full-scale preparation. It wasn't for the faint-hearted, on the field or off. "C'mon guys, crouch, sink, hit, two-three-four," came the shouted command as the burly front row thudded their shoulders into the scrum machine, aptly labelled Rhino. When push comes to shove, England's lady forwards are an intimidating bunch and, judging from the liberally sprinkled fruity expletives, there isn't too much they could learn from their male counterparts about the niceties of the game.
Across the park, things were slightly more decorous as the willowy George and the backs practised some impressive running, passing and dummying under the tuition of head coach Peter Kennedy, who shares his duties between the England women and Exeter Chiefs. Like Steve Redfern, ex-Leicester and England, who looks after the forwards, Kennedy admires the endeavour and application of these women in the roughest of team sports. "They are prepared to listen and take things on board," he says. "They are quick learners and always want to do the right thing. They're great to coach."
No one argues any more that rugby shouldn't be a game for girls. It is now one of the two fastest- growing sporting activities among females, the other being football. And while women's football talks of going professional in 2003, women's rugby, in a way, is already there. "If you like, we're professional with a small `p'," says the Twickenham-based women's RFU performance director, Carol Isherwood, a former Great Britain captain and the country's top female coach. "We have 35 players on Lottery funding, which means they only need to work part-time." Three of the elite squad are married; one to an Army major, and another has a 15-year-old son. The rest are the usual collection of PE teachers, physios and students. There are two policewomen and a firefighter, and one of the front row works for a brewery. The hooker, Nicky Ponsford, with 42 caps, is an administrator with Sport England.
Nationwide, there are 270 women's teams, including those attached to illustrious clubs such as Wasps, Saracens, Harlequins and Richmond, with around 6,000 players. There are half-a-dozen leagues, two cup competitions and 60 youth sections. An active recruitment programme in schools, says Isherwood, will help transform a game that has been essentially middle- class because of its genesis in universities. Meantime, they will be lucky to muster a crowd of more than a few hundred in Edinburgh on Saturday, though in France, where they take women's sport far more seriously, some 4,000 watched them beat the French 24-18. Victories over Spain (31- 7) and Wales (51-0) have put England in pole position for the Grand Slam.
The women's game would love a higher profile, though they'll probably stop short of posing topless or spraying on the body paint to get themselves in the public prints. Anyway, scrum caps don't do much for sex appeal and those blood-red lips come by courtesy of Lonsdale gumshields rather than Revlon.
The nearest women's rugby has got to the tabloid treatment came when one of the sport's sponsors attempted a hard sell with a survey among the players which asked the question: "Who would you most like to snog?" Nicky Jupp, the centre, who, according to the survey, "at 6ft and a slim size 12 turns the heads with her good looks", said she could not decide between Brad Pitt and Keanu Reeves.
There's a popular misconception that women's rugby is all butch and biceps. There's a flavour of that, but by and large it is a game played, if not always with a degree of elegance, at least with zest and dash. There's the odd broken collarbone and torn ligament, but no history of serious injury in the 20 years women have been playing the game. Isher-wood admits: "Some of the games can be a bit brutal, though there's a place for this with women just as there is with men. You need to be a certain type to play it, but then you do if you are a guy. Basically, what attracts the girls to the game is the same thing that attracts the men."
George agrees. "Physically, I can't think of a harder sport for women. For me it is the most complete sport and I've played all of them, from netball to hockey. Nothing has the same excitement, the same pace, requires you to make decisions under pressure, or more all-round skills." In the women's game, she is likened to Jeremy Guscott. Fast and flamboyant, she has played everywhere from full-back to flanker for her club, Wasps.
She works one day a week, teaching PE and A-level psychology at a Middlesex school and has an American father, Scottish mother and was born in Wales. A maternal grandmother gives her qualification for England, so there is no question over eligibility. Like most, she was converted to the sport "as a bit of a dare" at university. That was 11 years ago. Now she is about to collect her 40th England cap. "If someone asked me whether there's anything I would like to change in my life, I couldn't think of anything. It may sound strange, but when I play rugby, I'm living my dream."
The Independent on Sunday (London, England) (March 26, 2000): p18.
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