BRIAN SCOTT
HENRY COOPER may have spoken for chauvinist swine the world over recently when he said something to the effect that women belong in the boudoir rather than the boxing ring.
What says Paula Chalmers, skipper and scrum-half of the Scottish ladies side who play Spain in a friendly in Madrid on Saturday while their male counterparts meet the same nation in a World Cup qualifier at Murrayfield?
Put it this way: Paula does not argue against the prerogative of her gender to infiltrate whatever area they wish of the sporting province regarded hitherto as being for men only.
But the chances of this 26-year-old from Melrose ever wanting to go 12 rounds are about as great as those of Joe Bugner, still fighting in his late 40s, applying belatedly to join a ballet school.
'I relish some man saying to me that I shouldn't be playing rugby,' she says assertively. 'I'd like to hear his argument. Women play football, they play baseball and softball. Why not rugby? It's not as if they're playing against men. It's women versus women and it's all fair.
'Women's boxing? Er, no. I watched on television an interview with the girl who was boxing in Edinburgh on Friday night. She was talking about hitting people in the face. I thought, och, none of that.
'I don't even like boxing for men, to be honest. I don't really know why anyone would want to go into a ring and take hits on the face while trying to smash their opponent. It can't be good.
You wouldn't get me in there, anyway.' Paula, if you didn't know or hadn't guessed, is the sister of one of Scotland's most celebrated rugby players, Craig. She knows the hurt which can be caused, even in their game, although it seems unimaginable for her to inflict any other than by accident.
'You're trying to play the ball in rugby,' she points out.
'You're trying to get that ball over the other side's line and, if it's at all possible, trying to miss out on any contact.
Rugby doesn't have to be hash-bash. It can be skilful.' So there's the difference, articulated by one whose support of women's rights in sport does not stretch quite so far that she would argue with the aforementioned Henry Cooper on the topic of their perceived excesses.
Paula may be feminist, a women of the 90s, but she is unmistakably feminine with it and, dare this be said, looks like Tinkerbell when matched up to some of these towering specimens of womenhood with whom she shares a field.
She plays rugby, by the way, with the full approval of her boyfriend, Mark Moncrieff, although that may not be such a great surprise. He, after all, plays himself; on the wing for Melrose.
It is hardly a surprise, either, to learn that she was introduced to the game, in a playful kind of way, with Craig throwing a ball to her when they were kids in the Borders.
'Rugby has always been in our family,' says Paula, who works in the sales division of a software firm in Galashiels. 'Craig played from an early age; the minis, midis, or whatever they were called then.
'But I progressed to playing hockey because women's rugby still wasn't that big at the time.' Paula, in fact, played hockey well enough to win two caps for Scotland some three years ago. Then, with the other game beginning to burgeon, she had to decide which of the two was better for her to pursue.
'Rugby seemed the greater prospect in that it had more potential for me to get into the side and get regular games,' she reveals.
'I still play club hockey for Melrose, turning out on a Saturday when available because rugby is played on a Sunday.' What did Craig, four years Paula's senior, make of her sporting conversion? She confesses that, initially, he seemed keener that she stick in at hockey. Why was he hesitant?
She is somewhat hesitant about answering the question, admitting: 'Maybe it was because rugby was quite a new sport among women.
'When it first started, it was played just at universities and, well, I don't like to say this, but it was more a sort of ...' She doesn't want to say it may have been more a sort of, er, butch person playing it. But we can gather that's what she means as she passes beyond the unspoken by adding: 'There are so many girls playing rugby now that it's just another sport. The game has widened, the skill level is away up.
'It's not just about big girls running about making hits. Some of them can kick the ball as well as men.
Some can pass it as well as men.
'The skill at international level is probably better than that at second or third level of men's rugby.
'It has improved so much and I think my brother can recognise that now and appreciate women's rugby for what it is. Mark is 100 per cent behind me and always constructive in his criticism. He even comes to our games when he can.
Another of our team, Alex Shepherd, goes out with Derek Stark. Through him, she'll come to training with a new move which the Caley Reds have been working on, so the support we get is great. I've not really met anybody who is anti women's rugby.' Paula, Alex and four others in their team to face the Spaniards play for Murrayfield Wanderers, a club which grew out of a fusion of women from Edinburgh Wanderers and Heriot Watt.
They are reigning Scottish champions as well as cup winners these last four seasons and Paula's latest international appearance, her first as captain, counts as number 13 following her debut against Wales less than two years ago.
She must enjoy the rough and tumble even though her fair countenance doesn't bear a bruise far less a scar. Or does she? 'Ask any of my team-mates,' Paula confesses, 'and they'll tell you I'm the one who takes the least contact in games.
'But it is quite hard and you do get some big hits. There are some big girls out there and a few late tackles. I'm not a greedy player, preferring to use the players around me.
'I just kind of slotted in at scrum-half because I wasn't big enough for the scrum or fast enough for the three-quarters. Touch wood, I've steered clear of any serious injury.
Craig hasn't been so lucky.' Nor is he quite so lucky at the moment, out of the Scottish men's squad while Paula is very much an integral part of the women's. His wee sister must feel a mite sympathetic. 'He'll be back, I'm sure he will,' she says supportively.
'He never gives up. If he'd given up the first time he was passed over by Scotland, he'd never have got half the caps he has. He's never say die.' Yet Paula can't resist aiming a playful dig at her big brother by pointing out that the honour of being Scotland captain has never been his and adding jocularly: 'I always have a laugh with him, saying that I'm a dual internationalist, what are you? He says he might take up bowls when he finishes with rugby, just to get a cap at another sport.'
Source Citation
"Rugby fair game for this sister act." Daily Mail [London, England] 1 Dec. 1998
Tuesday, 1 December 1998
Sunday, 29 November 1998
Interview with Alix Shepherd (Scotland)
ALIX SHEPHERD was busy outlining her rugby background, in between sips of her blackcurrant and lemonade. "Well," she said, "my father played for the North Districts. And my brother plays. And my boyfriend." They play quite well too, as it happens. Alix Shepherd's brother is Rowen Shepherd, one of the sextet who have surpassed the 100 points mark for Scotland. And her boyfriend is Derek Stark, once dubbed the fastest pastry chef in international rugby, who announced his arrival among the upper crust by scoring with his first touch for Scotland, against Ireland at Murrayfield five years ago.
This coming Saturday Alix will be looking to make a similarly dramatic international entrance. She has been chosen to make her debut for the Scottish women's team against Spain in Madrid. The timing of her elevation from the A team is a touch ironic, given the fact that both her boyfriend and her brother are international outcasts at present. Stark has been out of the Scotland picture since the 68-10 slaughter inflicted by the Springboks a year ago. Shepherd - Rowen Shepherd, that is - played at inside centre against the New Zealand Maoris a fortnight ago but has since been supplanted by the kilted Kiwi John Leslie. He has also been overlooked for the full-back place he lost to Derrick Lee midway through last season, Gregor Townsend having been picked to replace the injured London Scot against Portugal at Murrayfield yesterday.
There is irony in that too. Townsend and Rowen Shepherd are business partners. Together with Stark, they own the Three Quarters Sports Cafe, a splendidly appointed eatery-cum-watering hole which can be found in the shadow of Edinburgh castle in the Grassmarket. The Scotland shirt displayed behind the bar is the No 14 jersey Tony Stanger wore the afternoon he grand-slammed England at Murrayfield eight years ago. The No 11 top Alix Shepherd pulls on in Madrid might not be quite so significant but it will be just as precious to her.
"I can't believe it, really," she said, taking her lunchtime break amid the signed framed jerseys in the Three Quarters cafe. "I was in the A team last year. I wasn't involved in the World Cup team that went out to Amsterdam. There were 26 players in the squad so I really didn't see myself getting selected for the Spain match. It was quite a surprise."
It was also a surprise to the Scottish Women's Rugby Union. Shepherd's name was not among the 30 the SWRU nominated for lottery funding at the start of the season. She therefore has to find pounds 500 to cover the cost of the trip, or forfeit her international debut. "I've managed to get pounds 225 of it, from family and friends," she said. "I'll definitely be going. If the worst comes to the worst I'll have to speak to my bank manager and get an extension on my overdraft."
It is another of life's little ironies that Shepherd has been left self- funding her imminent international sporting career. She works as a case officer for the Lottery Sports Fund at the Scottish Sports Council. "There's absolutely no connection with my particular situation and my work," she said. "The governing body puts you forward for funding, not the Sports Council or the Lottery Sports Fund. My name was not put forward because I was not in the squad. It just happens that there's been a change of coach and now I'm in the team. It is quite ironic, though."
It is also no mean achievement that Shepherd has graduated to the international ranks at the age of 25. She does boast a personal sporting pedigree at international level. As a teenage long jumper she competed for the Scottish youth team in the Celtic Games. She did not, however, play rugby until she was almost 22. This is only her fourth season in the sport.
Like Stark, she plays on the left wing - for Murrayfield Wanderers, whose home base is the back-pitch area where the cars park at Murrayfield on international days. "Rowen comes down and watches, along with Derek," the happy Wanderer said. "They're always giving me hints and tips about what to do. Rowen's been down to coach the club a couple of times. He's behind me all the way. He thinks it's great that I've been picked for Scotland."
It is undoubtedly a great achievement to have brother and sister internationals in the same sporting family. It is a rare distinction too. There are the Nevilles, of course - Gary and Phil of England football fame and Tracey of England netball renown. "There are the Chalmers as well," Alix pointed out, lest Scottish rugby's established siblings be overlooked. Craig Chalmers, like Stark, has not figured in the Scottish men's squad this season but Paula Chalmers, a veteran of last season's World Cup campaign in Holland, will be at scrum-half for the women's team in Madrid on Saturday.
Injuries could yet dictate that a Shepherd and a Chalmers line up for Scotland against Spain this Saturday both in Madrid and at Murrayfield. And the Shepherds may yet, in time, complete an international family hat- trick. "Our younger sister, Rhona, has already been in the Scottish A team," Alix said, proudly. "So, you never know, there could be three of us playing for Scotland one day." They are quite a flock, these Caledonian Shepherds.
Source Citation
"Rugby Union: Left field for a Shepherd; Another member of a famous sporting family is winging in for Scotland." Independent on Sunday [London, England] 29 Nov. 1998
This coming Saturday Alix will be looking to make a similarly dramatic international entrance. She has been chosen to make her debut for the Scottish women's team against Spain in Madrid. The timing of her elevation from the A team is a touch ironic, given the fact that both her boyfriend and her brother are international outcasts at present. Stark has been out of the Scotland picture since the 68-10 slaughter inflicted by the Springboks a year ago. Shepherd - Rowen Shepherd, that is - played at inside centre against the New Zealand Maoris a fortnight ago but has since been supplanted by the kilted Kiwi John Leslie. He has also been overlooked for the full-back place he lost to Derrick Lee midway through last season, Gregor Townsend having been picked to replace the injured London Scot against Portugal at Murrayfield yesterday.
There is irony in that too. Townsend and Rowen Shepherd are business partners. Together with Stark, they own the Three Quarters Sports Cafe, a splendidly appointed eatery-cum-watering hole which can be found in the shadow of Edinburgh castle in the Grassmarket. The Scotland shirt displayed behind the bar is the No 14 jersey Tony Stanger wore the afternoon he grand-slammed England at Murrayfield eight years ago. The No 11 top Alix Shepherd pulls on in Madrid might not be quite so significant but it will be just as precious to her.
"I can't believe it, really," she said, taking her lunchtime break amid the signed framed jerseys in the Three Quarters cafe. "I was in the A team last year. I wasn't involved in the World Cup team that went out to Amsterdam. There were 26 players in the squad so I really didn't see myself getting selected for the Spain match. It was quite a surprise."
It was also a surprise to the Scottish Women's Rugby Union. Shepherd's name was not among the 30 the SWRU nominated for lottery funding at the start of the season. She therefore has to find pounds 500 to cover the cost of the trip, or forfeit her international debut. "I've managed to get pounds 225 of it, from family and friends," she said. "I'll definitely be going. If the worst comes to the worst I'll have to speak to my bank manager and get an extension on my overdraft."
It is another of life's little ironies that Shepherd has been left self- funding her imminent international sporting career. She works as a case officer for the Lottery Sports Fund at the Scottish Sports Council. "There's absolutely no connection with my particular situation and my work," she said. "The governing body puts you forward for funding, not the Sports Council or the Lottery Sports Fund. My name was not put forward because I was not in the squad. It just happens that there's been a change of coach and now I'm in the team. It is quite ironic, though."
It is also no mean achievement that Shepherd has graduated to the international ranks at the age of 25. She does boast a personal sporting pedigree at international level. As a teenage long jumper she competed for the Scottish youth team in the Celtic Games. She did not, however, play rugby until she was almost 22. This is only her fourth season in the sport.
Like Stark, she plays on the left wing - for Murrayfield Wanderers, whose home base is the back-pitch area where the cars park at Murrayfield on international days. "Rowen comes down and watches, along with Derek," the happy Wanderer said. "They're always giving me hints and tips about what to do. Rowen's been down to coach the club a couple of times. He's behind me all the way. He thinks it's great that I've been picked for Scotland."
It is undoubtedly a great achievement to have brother and sister internationals in the same sporting family. It is a rare distinction too. There are the Nevilles, of course - Gary and Phil of England football fame and Tracey of England netball renown. "There are the Chalmers as well," Alix pointed out, lest Scottish rugby's established siblings be overlooked. Craig Chalmers, like Stark, has not figured in the Scottish men's squad this season but Paula Chalmers, a veteran of last season's World Cup campaign in Holland, will be at scrum-half for the women's team in Madrid on Saturday.
Injuries could yet dictate that a Shepherd and a Chalmers line up for Scotland against Spain this Saturday both in Madrid and at Murrayfield. And the Shepherds may yet, in time, complete an international family hat- trick. "Our younger sister, Rhona, has already been in the Scottish A team," Alix said, proudly. "So, you never know, there could be three of us playing for Scotland one day." They are quite a flock, these Caledonian Shepherds.
Source Citation
"Rugby Union: Left field for a Shepherd; Another member of a famous sporting family is winging in for Scotland." Independent on Sunday [London, England] 29 Nov. 1998
Sunday, 1 November 1998
Interview with Emma Mitchell (England)
Stephen Jones meets a scrum-half who hopes England will learn from the best in the world
IT IS good for the soul to realise that, after a good few years watching rugby, there are still things to see which have you rubbing your eyes with a sense of disbelief. Good, that is, unless you were a fellow contender of the New Zealand team in the 1998 Women's World Cup, a splendidly successful event held in Amsterdam in May. The Kiwis were astonishingly brilliant.
And it is typical of Emma Mitchell, who led England in a deeply-courageous defeat against the flying Kiwis in the semi-final, a fine and ferocious encounter, that she spent a short time being profoundly impressed but far longer working out how to catch up. Individually, she was there already. She is one of the world's great players; in the World Cup she was the outstanding scrum-half of the tournament, with a remarkable all-round game in the areas of passing, kicking, running with the ball and needle-sharp tactical nous.
Mitchell is the outstanding personality in the women's game in this country. As a senior England player, as a core figure in the highly-successful Saracens team and splendidly-articulate proponent of her sport, both technically and in terms of promotion, Mitchell has played a key role in the sport's explosion.
She provided a cameo last season when Sky Sports provided excellent live coverage of the Saracens-Wasps match in the final of the Bread for Life Cup. Mere seconds after a tough match had ended in triumph, thanks chiefly to her own excellence, an out-of-breath Mitchell had the microphone stuck under her nose for the flash interview so beloved of producers; she provided such a cool, calm and accurate dissection of the game, regretting aloud that the nerves and tension had perhaps militated against the spectacle, that she put generations of tongue-tied, platitude-spouting sportsmen to shame. "It probably comes from the old days when people used to come up and say that women really shouldn't play rugby. If you got angry, which you wanted to do, it would only have made things worse. So you'd stay calm and ask them if they'd ever watched a match and, if they hadn't, suggest that perhaps they should."
All those doubters have been silenced by sheer numbers of participants, and all those who doubted that the sport could become watchable at its top levels were silenced in Amsterdam, and not only by the elite teams. Now for those damn New Zealanders. My fear for the players in all the home nations was that the emphatic superiority of New Zealand would simply discourage them, just as Bob Beamon's freakish long jump once effectively ended the careers of his peers.
To be discouraged is not in Mitchell's nature. "They were superb, a good distance clear of us and America, and way clear of the others. But they had been effectively preparing as professionals for 18 months. The way we improved from four months of proper preparation showed what can be done. Just having the time together so that, when you run out, you know exactly what everyone is doing was tremendous."
She believes that to narrow the gap, the England players need more time together and must regularly compete against the top echelon, such as New Zealand and Australia. "We have to compete with their preparation time, although we don't necessarily have to mimic the way they play. We must come up with a style to suit the players we have."
A grant from the Sports Council's allocation for world-class performance was a marvellous boost for the England squad before the tournament. Now, the players are biting their nails as they apply for a renewal to take the elite part of the game on further. The Sports Council has backed the application and it is now in the hands of the National Lottery commission. If any member had been in Amsterdam to see how well their cash had been used, they would approve it on the nod. But for the moment, the England squad are again relying on their own resources, "paying to use the gym, paying to use the track, paying to train", said Mitchell.
Her appetite seems undiminished. "The style we are playing is thoroughly enjoyable and there are quite a few new and talented players coming into the squad. I still think I have something to offer."
What she could have said is that the stature of England women's rugby, both in the national team and in the sport countrywide, is in her debt, beholden to an almost unique ability to be world-class as a player and quietly but devastatingly effective as an ambassador. In those fields, not even the Kiwis have anything to teach her.
Copyright (C) The Sunday Times, 1998 **********
Source Citation
"Mitchell shows touch of class; Interview." Sunday Times [London, England] 1 Nov. 1998
IT IS good for the soul to realise that, after a good few years watching rugby, there are still things to see which have you rubbing your eyes with a sense of disbelief. Good, that is, unless you were a fellow contender of the New Zealand team in the 1998 Women's World Cup, a splendidly successful event held in Amsterdam in May. The Kiwis were astonishingly brilliant.
And it is typical of Emma Mitchell, who led England in a deeply-courageous defeat against the flying Kiwis in the semi-final, a fine and ferocious encounter, that she spent a short time being profoundly impressed but far longer working out how to catch up. Individually, she was there already. She is one of the world's great players; in the World Cup she was the outstanding scrum-half of the tournament, with a remarkable all-round game in the areas of passing, kicking, running with the ball and needle-sharp tactical nous.
Mitchell is the outstanding personality in the women's game in this country. As a senior England player, as a core figure in the highly-successful Saracens team and splendidly-articulate proponent of her sport, both technically and in terms of promotion, Mitchell has played a key role in the sport's explosion.
She provided a cameo last season when Sky Sports provided excellent live coverage of the Saracens-Wasps match in the final of the Bread for Life Cup. Mere seconds after a tough match had ended in triumph, thanks chiefly to her own excellence, an out-of-breath Mitchell had the microphone stuck under her nose for the flash interview so beloved of producers; she provided such a cool, calm and accurate dissection of the game, regretting aloud that the nerves and tension had perhaps militated against the spectacle, that she put generations of tongue-tied, platitude-spouting sportsmen to shame. "It probably comes from the old days when people used to come up and say that women really shouldn't play rugby. If you got angry, which you wanted to do, it would only have made things worse. So you'd stay calm and ask them if they'd ever watched a match and, if they hadn't, suggest that perhaps they should."
All those doubters have been silenced by sheer numbers of participants, and all those who doubted that the sport could become watchable at its top levels were silenced in Amsterdam, and not only by the elite teams. Now for those damn New Zealanders. My fear for the players in all the home nations was that the emphatic superiority of New Zealand would simply discourage them, just as Bob Beamon's freakish long jump once effectively ended the careers of his peers.
To be discouraged is not in Mitchell's nature. "They were superb, a good distance clear of us and America, and way clear of the others. But they had been effectively preparing as professionals for 18 months. The way we improved from four months of proper preparation showed what can be done. Just having the time together so that, when you run out, you know exactly what everyone is doing was tremendous."
She believes that to narrow the gap, the England players need more time together and must regularly compete against the top echelon, such as New Zealand and Australia. "We have to compete with their preparation time, although we don't necessarily have to mimic the way they play. We must come up with a style to suit the players we have."
A grant from the Sports Council's allocation for world-class performance was a marvellous boost for the England squad before the tournament. Now, the players are biting their nails as they apply for a renewal to take the elite part of the game on further. The Sports Council has backed the application and it is now in the hands of the National Lottery commission. If any member had been in Amsterdam to see how well their cash had been used, they would approve it on the nod. But for the moment, the England squad are again relying on their own resources, "paying to use the gym, paying to use the track, paying to train", said Mitchell.
Her appetite seems undiminished. "The style we are playing is thoroughly enjoyable and there are quite a few new and talented players coming into the squad. I still think I have something to offer."
What she could have said is that the stature of England women's rugby, both in the national team and in the sport countrywide, is in her debt, beholden to an almost unique ability to be world-class as a player and quietly but devastatingly effective as an ambassador. In those fields, not even the Kiwis have anything to teach her.
Copyright (C) The Sunday Times, 1998 **********
Source Citation
"Mitchell shows touch of class; Interview." Sunday Times [London, England] 1 Nov. 1998
Sunday, 13 September 1998
Profile of Kim Littlejohn (Scotland)
The inspiration behind Scotland's Grand Slam victory has decided on a change of direction in her illustrious career. By Alasdair Reid
FOR MOST of her time in international rugby, Kim Littlejohn displayed the sort of scoring touch that might have made you wonder if she had been coached in the art by Craig Brown. Her try in a bounce match against Sweden in 1994, a year after she had made her debut for Scotland, hinted at a fruitful career ahead, but another four years and more than 20 caps were to pass before she grabbed her second. When it arrived, though, the setting was close to perfect.
Inverleith, Edinburgh, March 2 this year. Scotland, so recently among the rabbits of international women's rugby, were chasing a Grand Slam in the last match of their Five Nations programme, against England. The match was 12 minutes old when a Scottish attack from a scrum appeared to break down near the English 22. Moving left, however, Littlejohn revived the move, exchanged passes near the touchline and darted over by the corner flag.
Strictly speaking, it was not the winning try, but as it accounted for more than half the points in Scotland's tenacious 8-5 victory, it deserves to be remembered as such. Moreover, although Littlejohn had never been the most prolific scoring machine in the past, it was perfectly fitting that the 27-year-old centre should claim it. She had, after all, played in the first Scottish international side, in 1993, and had captained the team through the remarkable half decade since that saw women's rugby in Scotland grow at an astonishing rate.
With good-humoured modesty, she plays down her own role in that development, but Ramsay Jones, the Scotland manager, has no doubt that she has been a central figure. Praising her qualities both as a player and as an inspiration to those around her, he pinpoints a moment shortly after the World Cup in 1994 which provided a critical impetus to what was to come.
"We had done okay at the World Cup, but it was clear we had a lot of catching up to do to compete with sides such as England and the USA," said Jones. "The management got all the players together and we told them we thought they had the talent to be among the best in the world. I think a lot of the players had difficulty taking that idea on board, but Kim believed it totally - and showed it. I think that was to prove a huge factor in what has happened since."
Despite an established programme and a four-year cycle between World Cups, most women internationals are still obliged to get involved in the background tasks that allow them to play their games. Littlejohn has done her fair share of organisational work, but her greater contribution has been on the pitch and in the immediate build-up to a match. Renowned for her defensive abilities, the meagre try tally against her own name is mitigated by the many scores she has created for others. According to Jones she also has a gift for bringing the best out of her fellow players.
"Everybody who meets her recognises that Kim's enthusiasm is fantastic, but she is very intelligent with it. The last words in the dressing room are always delivered by the captain after the coaches and management have left and, by all accounts, Kim's words are always carefully chosen. They're usually effective, too.
"She has a total focus on everything she does. She strives to be the best, in sport or in other activities, whether as an individual or as part of a team. It comes out as a mixture of dedication, enthusiasm and enormous motivational qualities. She also presents herself and her sport very well to the media and the public, and that has been an enormous help over the last few years."
Growing up in Kirkcaldy, Littlejohn's first taste of international competition was as a member of Scotland's gymnastics squad. However, she was a talented all-round athlete and when she began her computer science degree at Edinburgh university in 1988 she immersed herself in the sporting opportunities it offered. She played volleyball for Scottish universities and joined the recently-established rugby team.
Although she gave up rugby for a couple of years towards the end of her studies, the burgeoning club sector encouraged her to return to the game. She soon established herself in the powerful Edinburgh Accies side which formed the core of Scotland's early squads. The first international was played on St Valentine's Day in 1993 - a 10-0 win over Ireland - and Littlejohn has been a stalwart of the side ever since.
As a pioneer of women's rugby in Scotland, Littlejohn has not only played the game, but defined it. If that is a burden, it is one she carries lightly, but after captaining her country in 29 of the 30 internationals she has played, she recently relinquished the role. "I felt it was time somebody else got the chance to put their ideas and personality into the side and take it forward to the next World Cup," she said.
Although Scotland failed to live up to expectations raised by their Grand Slam success when the last World Cup was played in Holland in May - they were knocked out by the USA at the quarter-final stage - that disappointment did not influence her decision to stand down. A more pressing concern was that she wanted to develop her own game, and felt that captaincy stood in the way of doing so. "In future, I want to be able to be more risky than I've been in the past," she said. "When you are captain you are sometimes a bit inhibited, not wanting to set a bad example and watching out for the others in the team. It's nice to be able to shake off the responsibility and think more about your own game."
In helping to establish women's rugby, Littlejohn has tended to make her point with deeds rather than words. If gaining acceptance was ever a battle - and opposition has usually been absurdly overstated - it is now well and truly won. "We're way past that stage," said Littlejohn.
Copyright (C) The Sunday Times, 1998 **********
Source Citation
"Littlejohn tries a little freedom; Rugby Union:Profile." Sunday Times [London, England] 13 Sept. 1998
FOR MOST of her time in international rugby, Kim Littlejohn displayed the sort of scoring touch that might have made you wonder if she had been coached in the art by Craig Brown. Her try in a bounce match against Sweden in 1994, a year after she had made her debut for Scotland, hinted at a fruitful career ahead, but another four years and more than 20 caps were to pass before she grabbed her second. When it arrived, though, the setting was close to perfect.
Inverleith, Edinburgh, March 2 this year. Scotland, so recently among the rabbits of international women's rugby, were chasing a Grand Slam in the last match of their Five Nations programme, against England. The match was 12 minutes old when a Scottish attack from a scrum appeared to break down near the English 22. Moving left, however, Littlejohn revived the move, exchanged passes near the touchline and darted over by the corner flag.
Strictly speaking, it was not the winning try, but as it accounted for more than half the points in Scotland's tenacious 8-5 victory, it deserves to be remembered as such. Moreover, although Littlejohn had never been the most prolific scoring machine in the past, it was perfectly fitting that the 27-year-old centre should claim it. She had, after all, played in the first Scottish international side, in 1993, and had captained the team through the remarkable half decade since that saw women's rugby in Scotland grow at an astonishing rate.
With good-humoured modesty, she plays down her own role in that development, but Ramsay Jones, the Scotland manager, has no doubt that she has been a central figure. Praising her qualities both as a player and as an inspiration to those around her, he pinpoints a moment shortly after the World Cup in 1994 which provided a critical impetus to what was to come.
"We had done okay at the World Cup, but it was clear we had a lot of catching up to do to compete with sides such as England and the USA," said Jones. "The management got all the players together and we told them we thought they had the talent to be among the best in the world. I think a lot of the players had difficulty taking that idea on board, but Kim believed it totally - and showed it. I think that was to prove a huge factor in what has happened since."
Despite an established programme and a four-year cycle between World Cups, most women internationals are still obliged to get involved in the background tasks that allow them to play their games. Littlejohn has done her fair share of organisational work, but her greater contribution has been on the pitch and in the immediate build-up to a match. Renowned for her defensive abilities, the meagre try tally against her own name is mitigated by the many scores she has created for others. According to Jones she also has a gift for bringing the best out of her fellow players.
"Everybody who meets her recognises that Kim's enthusiasm is fantastic, but she is very intelligent with it. The last words in the dressing room are always delivered by the captain after the coaches and management have left and, by all accounts, Kim's words are always carefully chosen. They're usually effective, too.
"She has a total focus on everything she does. She strives to be the best, in sport or in other activities, whether as an individual or as part of a team. It comes out as a mixture of dedication, enthusiasm and enormous motivational qualities. She also presents herself and her sport very well to the media and the public, and that has been an enormous help over the last few years."
Growing up in Kirkcaldy, Littlejohn's first taste of international competition was as a member of Scotland's gymnastics squad. However, she was a talented all-round athlete and when she began her computer science degree at Edinburgh university in 1988 she immersed herself in the sporting opportunities it offered. She played volleyball for Scottish universities and joined the recently-established rugby team.
Although she gave up rugby for a couple of years towards the end of her studies, the burgeoning club sector encouraged her to return to the game. She soon established herself in the powerful Edinburgh Accies side which formed the core of Scotland's early squads. The first international was played on St Valentine's Day in 1993 - a 10-0 win over Ireland - and Littlejohn has been a stalwart of the side ever since.
As a pioneer of women's rugby in Scotland, Littlejohn has not only played the game, but defined it. If that is a burden, it is one she carries lightly, but after captaining her country in 29 of the 30 internationals she has played, she recently relinquished the role. "I felt it was time somebody else got the chance to put their ideas and personality into the side and take it forward to the next World Cup," she said.
Although Scotland failed to live up to expectations raised by their Grand Slam success when the last World Cup was played in Holland in May - they were knocked out by the USA at the quarter-final stage - that disappointment did not influence her decision to stand down. A more pressing concern was that she wanted to develop her own game, and felt that captaincy stood in the way of doing so. "In future, I want to be able to be more risky than I've been in the past," she said. "When you are captain you are sometimes a bit inhibited, not wanting to set a bad example and watching out for the others in the team. It's nice to be able to shake off the responsibility and think more about your own game."
In helping to establish women's rugby, Littlejohn has tended to make her point with deeds rather than words. If gaining acceptance was ever a battle - and opposition has usually been absurdly overstated - it is now well and truly won. "We're way past that stage," said Littlejohn.
Copyright (C) The Sunday Times, 1998 **********
Source Citation
"Littlejohn tries a little freedom; Rugby Union:Profile." Sunday Times [London, England] 13 Sept. 1998
Tuesday, 19 May 1998
World Cup: review
David Hands says the women's rugby World Cup illustrated a gulf in standards.
NEW Zealand, just as they have done in the men's game, set a new target of excellence when they carried off the women's World Cup in Amsterdam. In beating the United States 44-12, they set a standard to which others will aspire between now and the fourth tournament, in 2002.
During that time, the sport's administrators will be concerned to put in place a framework of matches that permits regular development in countries where the women's representative game is piecemeal. Too few of the countries competing in Holland have had that exposure, and it is likely that funds will be put aside for the staging of international tournaments as opposed to tours by those countries that can afford it. The International Rugby Board (IRB) gave Pounds 500,000 from Rugby World Cup for the organisation in Holland.
There will be concern, for example, that France appear to have gone backwards since the 1994 World Cup in Edinburgh; at the same time there will be pleasure at the advance of Canada and Kazakhstan - where fewer than 134 women play - and the ambition of Spain, the most popular team in the tournament. Yet if Canada, ranked fourth, could be beaten 81-15 by England in the third-place play-off, it indicates a gulf between the top three countries and the rest.
"We looked at where we were four years ago and there has been a 100 per cent improvement," Jill Zonneveld, the Canadian representative on the women's advisory committee to the IRB, said of the tournament as a whole.
"The levels of play have started to move up and the Dutch made this a highly-organised affair. Tenders for 2002 will go out in the next few weeks and we hope to know by January where it will be played. We have to consider development, impact and money." For those reasons, the venue is likely to be in Europe or North America, where access to sponsorship and television is greater.
Some 2,500 watched Vanessa Cootes score five of New Zealand's eight tries against the Americans on Sunday and confirm a technical expertise well in advance of any rival. The "Gal Blacks" had received coaching from John Hart and several members of his New Zealand men's squad and neither England in the semi-finals nor the Americans in the final could live with them.
It remains to be seen whether longstanding members of the England squad, which began with such high hopes of a successful defence of their 1994 title, will continue. An excellent spirit has been bred over the past three weeks and players such as Sue Day - switched to full back - and Jo Yapp, the 18-year-old scrum half, have received invaluable exposure.
FINAL RANKING (seeding in brackets): 1, New Zealand (4); 2, United States (2); 3, England (1); 4, Canada (8); 5, Australia (6); 6, Scotland (5); 7, Spain (7); 8, France (3); 9, Kazakhstan (14); 10, Ireland (11); 11, Wales (10); 12, Italy (12); 13, Holland (9); 14, Germany (13); 15, Sweden (16); 16, Russia (15).
Copyright (C) The Times, 1998
Source Citation
Hands, David. "New Zealand expose limitations; Rugby Union." Times [London, England] 19 May 1998
NEW Zealand, just as they have done in the men's game, set a new target of excellence when they carried off the women's World Cup in Amsterdam. In beating the United States 44-12, they set a standard to which others will aspire between now and the fourth tournament, in 2002.
During that time, the sport's administrators will be concerned to put in place a framework of matches that permits regular development in countries where the women's representative game is piecemeal. Too few of the countries competing in Holland have had that exposure, and it is likely that funds will be put aside for the staging of international tournaments as opposed to tours by those countries that can afford it. The International Rugby Board (IRB) gave Pounds 500,000 from Rugby World Cup for the organisation in Holland.
There will be concern, for example, that France appear to have gone backwards since the 1994 World Cup in Edinburgh; at the same time there will be pleasure at the advance of Canada and Kazakhstan - where fewer than 134 women play - and the ambition of Spain, the most popular team in the tournament. Yet if Canada, ranked fourth, could be beaten 81-15 by England in the third-place play-off, it indicates a gulf between the top three countries and the rest.
"We looked at where we were four years ago and there has been a 100 per cent improvement," Jill Zonneveld, the Canadian representative on the women's advisory committee to the IRB, said of the tournament as a whole.
"The levels of play have started to move up and the Dutch made this a highly-organised affair. Tenders for 2002 will go out in the next few weeks and we hope to know by January where it will be played. We have to consider development, impact and money." For those reasons, the venue is likely to be in Europe or North America, where access to sponsorship and television is greater.
Some 2,500 watched Vanessa Cootes score five of New Zealand's eight tries against the Americans on Sunday and confirm a technical expertise well in advance of any rival. The "Gal Blacks" had received coaching from John Hart and several members of his New Zealand men's squad and neither England in the semi-finals nor the Americans in the final could live with them.
It remains to be seen whether longstanding members of the England squad, which began with such high hopes of a successful defence of their 1994 title, will continue. An excellent spirit has been bred over the past three weeks and players such as Sue Day - switched to full back - and Jo Yapp, the 18-year-old scrum half, have received invaluable exposure.
FINAL RANKING (seeding in brackets): 1, New Zealand (4); 2, United States (2); 3, England (1); 4, Canada (8); 5, Australia (6); 6, Scotland (5); 7, Spain (7); 8, France (3); 9, Kazakhstan (14); 10, Ireland (11); 11, Wales (10); 12, Italy (12); 13, Holland (9); 14, Germany (13); 15, Sweden (16); 16, Russia (15).
Copyright (C) The Times, 1998
Source Citation
Hands, David. "New Zealand expose limitations; Rugby Union." Times [London, England] 19 May 1998
Monday, 18 May 1998
World Cup fina: report
JOHN WALES IN AMSTERDAM
New Zealand 46 USA 12
FROM the moment the All Blacks arrived here 16 days ago their desire to lift the women's rugby World Cup has been as overwhelming as their performances. Their invincibility did not, however, create a sense of anticlimax as they disposed of the United States 46 12 in the final.The match was a personal triumph for the All Black wing Vanessa Cootes, who came to the World Cup with the most prolific scoring record in women's international rugby. She scored five tries in Saturday's match to take her tally for the competition to eight and increase her record to 35 touchdowns in only nine games.
The defending champions England made up for their defeat by the All Blacks in the semi-final by securing third place with a 81 15 victory over Canada during which the Wasps full-back Sue Day scored four tries. The Five Nations champions Scotland lost the consolation Plate final, going down 25 15 to Australia.
Such is the interest in the women's game in New Zealand that the final was televised live. Other countries, including South Africa, have voiced a desire to participate in the 2002 tournament.
The New Zealand captain Farah Palmer said: 'We are absolutely ecstatic; I don't think this will ever sink in. The support from New Zealand has been unbelievable and we've been inundated with faxes and calls of best wishes.'
The United States' French coach Franck Boivert, who leaves the Eagles to coach Fiji's men's side, said: 'No matter how hard your own team tries to take the game to the All Blacks, they are faster, fitter and better. I don't believe anyone can stop them; they are unbeatable.'
Source Citation
"Rugby Union: Cootes crosses five times in a one-woman walkover: Women's World Cup Final." Guardian [London, England] 18 May 1998
New Zealand 46 USA 12
FROM the moment the All Blacks arrived here 16 days ago their desire to lift the women's rugby World Cup has been as overwhelming as their performances. Their invincibility did not, however, create a sense of anticlimax as they disposed of the United States 46 12 in the final.The match was a personal triumph for the All Black wing Vanessa Cootes, who came to the World Cup with the most prolific scoring record in women's international rugby. She scored five tries in Saturday's match to take her tally for the competition to eight and increase her record to 35 touchdowns in only nine games.
The defending champions England made up for their defeat by the All Blacks in the semi-final by securing third place with a 81 15 victory over Canada during which the Wasps full-back Sue Day scored four tries. The Five Nations champions Scotland lost the consolation Plate final, going down 25 15 to Australia.
Such is the interest in the women's game in New Zealand that the final was televised live. Other countries, including South Africa, have voiced a desire to participate in the 2002 tournament.
The New Zealand captain Farah Palmer said: 'We are absolutely ecstatic; I don't think this will ever sink in. The support from New Zealand has been unbelievable and we've been inundated with faxes and calls of best wishes.'
The United States' French coach Franck Boivert, who leaves the Eagles to coach Fiji's men's side, said: 'No matter how hard your own team tries to take the game to the All Blacks, they are faster, fitter and better. I don't believe anyone can stop them; they are unbeatable.'
Source Citation
"Rugby Union: Cootes crosses five times in a one-woman walkover: Women's World Cup Final." Guardian [London, England] 18 May 1998
Wednesday, 13 May 1998
World Cup: England v New Zealand: Report
JOHN WALES in AMSTERDAM
ENGLAND's hopes of retaining the women's rugby World Cup foundered against the mighty All Blacks, the valiant holders giving up their crown as the favourites recorded a 44 11 victory.
England had the audacity to take an early lead with two penalties but New Zealand responded with a penalty and a converted try from the centre Annaleah Rush to hold a 10 6 half-time advantage.The second half was emphatic, however, with New Zealand's powerful, pacy play overwhelming England in the 90F heat. Rush cemented her dominance by scoring another try, three conversions and a penalty for a personal tally of 24 points.
In between Rush's scores the stand-off Anna Richards and wing Vanessa Cootes touched down, the latter's double contributing to a remarkable international record of 30 tries in only eight games.
Bruised and battered, England countered with a consolation try from the lock Clair Green - the first of the tournament against New Zealand - but the All Blacks had the final say when the replacement Kellie Kiwi went over.
In Saturday's final New Zealand face the United States, who defeated Canada 46 6. The Americans, runners-up in 1994, beat the All Blacks in the 1991 final but few predict a repeat.
The England captain Emma Mitchell said: 'We did about the best we could against them for 30 minutes, when we had them rattled, but they are a great side and justify their status as the best in the world. Our goal has to be to come back stronger and aim to beat them next time.'
Scotland recovered from the disappointment of missing the final of the cup competition by beating France 27 7 to secure a place in the consolation plate final against Australia.
Source Citation
"Rugby Union: Other All Blacks end defence." Guardian [London, England] 13 May 1998
ENGLAND's hopes of retaining the women's rugby World Cup foundered against the mighty All Blacks, the valiant holders giving up their crown as the favourites recorded a 44 11 victory.
England had the audacity to take an early lead with two penalties but New Zealand responded with a penalty and a converted try from the centre Annaleah Rush to hold a 10 6 half-time advantage.The second half was emphatic, however, with New Zealand's powerful, pacy play overwhelming England in the 90F heat. Rush cemented her dominance by scoring another try, three conversions and a penalty for a personal tally of 24 points.
In between Rush's scores the stand-off Anna Richards and wing Vanessa Cootes touched down, the latter's double contributing to a remarkable international record of 30 tries in only eight games.
Bruised and battered, England countered with a consolation try from the lock Clair Green - the first of the tournament against New Zealand - but the All Blacks had the final say when the replacement Kellie Kiwi went over.
In Saturday's final New Zealand face the United States, who defeated Canada 46 6. The Americans, runners-up in 1994, beat the All Blacks in the 1991 final but few predict a repeat.
The England captain Emma Mitchell said: 'We did about the best we could against them for 30 minutes, when we had them rattled, but they are a great side and justify their status as the best in the world. Our goal has to be to come back stronger and aim to beat them next time.'
Scotland recovered from the disappointment of missing the final of the cup competition by beating France 27 7 to secure a place in the consolation plate final against Australia.
Source Citation
"Rugby Union: Other All Blacks end defence." Guardian [London, England] 13 May 1998
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
