Dr Rickard selected to play Rugby in Europe
Dr Lou Rickard, the School’s Head of Biology reports on her recent selection to play for the first ever W40 (Women’s) team in Europe.
In common with many sports, the international touch rugby match calendar was suspended for two years due to COVID.
It was therefore fantastic to be selected to play for the first ever W 40 (Women’s) team in Europe. Other than our European team, Australia and New Zealand are the only other two nations able to field teams in this age category. Our multinational Eurostars team was entered into the European Touch (Rugby) Seniors Tournament in the Women’s 27s division taking place in Coimbra, Portugal. There were eight teams, including our own, in the championships: Ireland 27s & 35s; Scotland 27s; Portugal 27s; Switzerland 27s, France 27s and Eurocomets 27s.
Playing in a European team was an incredible opportunity. It was a privilege to play alongside individuals against whom you normally compete. It was exciting to perform in a team that plays in a totally different style to our English team. Since the European team had not trained together, playing provided a significant challenge, compounded by the obvious language barriers.
Altogether, this was a wonderful occasion to meet old friends and meet new players from around the world. Portugal was beautiful in autumn and the hosts very welcoming – a very worthwhile experience.
