Northern Edition
Select Edition
Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

'For the Red Roses it brings that feeling of excitement and pressure - can we silence the crowd'

BRISTOL, ENGLAND - MARCH 30: Rosie Galligan of England makes her way down the tunnel ahead of the Guinness Women's Six Nations 2024 match between England and Wales at Ashton Gate on March 30, 2024 in Bristol, England. (Photo by Harry Trump - RFU/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)

Women’s sport really is on the rise. The Scots have announced their first sell-out at the Hive for our game on Saturday. I’m excited to be surrounded by over 7000 Scottish people singing with passion and cheering on their home side. For the Red Roses it brings that feeling of excitement and pressure – can we silence the crowd…

ADVERTISEMENT

We’re into game three of the tournament, so training weeks are pretty similar now. The schedule starts to feel a little mundane so as a treat, our team manager got us access to Pennyhill Park Spa where we spent the day in the thermal pools, saunas and ice rooms.

Doing something different in camp makes you feel a bit more human again. After a couple of hours in the spa I spent an hour in the changing rooms in my robe blowdrying and straightening my hair because I could!

Video Spacer

Abbie Ward: Bump in the Road | trailer

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
      Video Spacer

      Abbie Ward: Bump in the Road | trailer

      Bump in the Road explores the challenges faced by professional female athletes and all working mothers, featuring England lock, Abbie Ward. Watch the full documentary on RugbyPass TV

      Watch now

      On Thursday we made our way up to Edinburgh. This time two years ago we travelled up to Edinburgh on a bus. It’s fair to say I definitely preferred the hour plane journey to the eight we spent on a bus that year.

      The Scotland fixture in 2022 was where I received my second cap, 3 years after my first. In that time I contracted meningitis which left me hospitalised for 10 days in September 2019, and then shattered my ankle in January 2020 where I was rehabbing for a year during Covid.

      To be able to go back there this weekend feels really special. I am now a contracted Red Rose, a World Cup runner-up and an inaugural WXV winner.

      Scotland are a high-energy squad who like to keep the ball alive. In previous encounters, Scotland have been the team who have the highest ball in play periods, so for us, we have worked hard on how we are going to counteract that.

      ADVERTISEMENT

      Not only have we been training to meet those demands, but we have also tactically looked at ways we can stop them from finding their flow. A key threat for us to nullify is Helen Nelson at 10. If we can do this, hopefully, it disrupts the rest of their passages of play.

      This week, Rugby World Cup posted an announcement stating there were ‘500 days until the World Cup’. It felt a bit surreal as it only feels like yesterday we were in New Zealand at the 2022 World Cup. As I’ve spoken about before, I think women’s rugby is in a really good place to hit that peak in 2025.

      Organisations are starting to see the benefits of supporting women’s sport, sports fans are starting to see it as a high-quality, fun product and the talent on the pitch is only ever-growing! Between now and then we still have a WXV tour and another Six Nations, so there is plenty of time to lure in more fans from across the world.

      But I think the announcement of our two warm-up games is hugely beneficial from a marketing perspective to see where the game is at. It has been shared that we will be hosting the Black Ferns and France prior to WXV. England vs New Zealand is seen as one of the biggest games in the women’s game, so to be able to host that at the home of English Rugby will be a spectacle in itself.

      ADVERTISEMENT

      As with France, you never really know what you’re going to get. When they’re on it, they’re on it, but when they’re slightly off it can go really wrong for them. They have been rebuilding since the World Cup and I’m excited to see what they have to offer when we play them in a few weeks and then again on home soil later in the year.

      On a different note, RugbyPass TV is now streaming Abbie Ward: A Bump in the Road worldwide. This is a must-watch for any female athlete who has ever questioned becoming a mother because of their sport.

      Abbie takes you on her journey from pre-birth to getting back on the pitch and some of the tough decisions she has to make on the way. It was eye-opening and has definitely created a more open conversation on motherhood in sport. You can watch it now for free on RugbyPass TV here.

      ADVERTISEMENT

      KOKO Show | July 22nd | Full Throttle with Brisbane Test Review and Melbourne Preview

      New Zealand v South Africa | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

      USA vs England | Men's International | Full Match Replay

      France v Argentina | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

      Lions Share | Episode 4

      Zimbabwe vs Namibia | Rugby Africa Cup Final | Full Match Replay

      USA vs Fiji | Women's International | Full Match Replay

      Tattoos & Rugby: Why are tattoos so popular with sportspeople? | Amber Schonert | Rugby Rising Locker Room Season 2

      Trending on RugbyPass

      Comments

      0 Comments
      Be the first to comment...

      Join free and tell us what you really think!

      Sign up for free
      ADVERTISEMENT

      Latest Features

      Comments on RugbyPass

      S
      Soliloquin 36 minutes ago
      Why New Zealand learned more from their July series than France

      For Fischer, many people in France are still doubting him - it’s the first time he has a full season (31 games). Before, he was always injured at some point. He’s 27, so not the youngest, and you have a younger Boudehent or Jégou behind.

      His physicality is incredible, but he didn’t prove he’s got hands. He just proved he was able to defend like a beast.

      But you know, even Cros has improved his handling skills lately, so it’s never too late!

      And he will play the Champions Cup with a solid Bayonne side, so let’s see!


      I don’t agree with ‘only Fischer’: Brennan proved he’s a great 4/7 utility player, and Galthié likes those very much (Woki or Flament). He’s 23, playing for Toulouse with high concurrence, so the prospect is good. I rate him higher than Auradou, who had a few games in the 6 Nations.

      For Depoortère, he had a more silent season than the previous one - injured at the worst moment during the Autumn Tests series - but came back strong with a Champions Cup and a solid partnership with Moefana. What could save him would be to start playing as a 12 when Moefana isn’t there, bulking up and become the new Jauzion.

      But he’s 22 and an incredible talent at 13. His height makes me think he had more potential than your fan favorite Costes or the utility player that is Gailleton.


      As for Montagne or Mallez, with the lack of quality in props, they could find a spot!

      Especially Mallez who’s got a good spot to get behind Baille at Toulouse. Neti isn’t the youngest and hasn’t an international level.


      And again, as Ugo Mola said, you never play with your best team.

      So 30-32 player is more of a 38-40, so you need back-ups.

      France knows very well how useful they can be during RWCs.

      235 Go to comments
      S
      Soliloquin 53 minutes ago
      Why New Zealand learned more from their July series than France

      Hastoy was a good prospect before the 2023 RWC, he was the fly-half who led La Rochelle to the victory in the Champions Cup final in Dublin against Leinster.

      But he made it to the squad only because Ntamack got his ACL.

      He played against Uruguay, which a terribly poor game by the French side, and since then he declined a bit, alongside his club.

      Under the pressure of Reus and West at 10, he regained some credit at the end of the season (among all a drop at the 81st minute of a game).

      He’s quite good everywhere, but not outstanding.

      He doesn’t have the nerves, the defense and the tactical brain of Ntamack, the leadership and the creativity of Ramos or the exceptional attacking skills of Jalibert.


      I really hope that:

      -Ntamack will get his knee back. The surgery went well. He wasn’t the most elusive player in the world, but he was capable of amazing rushes like the one against NZ in 2021 or the Brennus-winning try in 2023.

      -Jalibert will continue to improve his defense. He started working hard since March (after his defensive disaster against England) with a XIII specialist, and I’ve seen great moments, especially against Ntamack in the SF of the Champions Cup. It’s never too late. And it would be a great signal for Galthié.

      -Hastoy will build up his partnership with Le Garrec, that La Rochelle will start a new phase with them and Niniashvili, Alldritt, Atonio, Boudehent, Jegou, Bosmorin, Bourgarit, Nowell, Wardi, Daunivucu, Kaddouri, Pacôme…

      235 Go to comments
      LONG READ
      LONG READ The RugbyPass team of the World Rugby U20 Championship The RugbyPass team of the World Rugby U20 Championship