Laura Delgado’s WXV 3 Diary: World Cup dream within reach

Another week in Dubai, another eventful one for Spain, ending in the best way possible: a victory over the Netherlands that edges them closer to their Women’s Rugby World Cup dream.

Having come on as a replacement against Madagascar, Laura Delgado started the all-European WXV 3 encounter as captain, but she was close to not making the team.

“I got sick, like bedridden sick. It never happens to me. In the last four years, I was sick once. It was tough, as I was forced to skip one of our practices, and it made me feel deeply nervous.”

Nervous? How does an experienced player like you deal with it?

“Feeling unsure or anxious, it’s normal. I feel it, and I need to acknowledge it and share it with my team-mates. They are the only ones who can help me control my nerves. It helped me tackle that restless feeling, especially when I was afraid of missing one of our practices. At the same time, I like to feel this excitement, pressure and anxiety, it makes me feel alive and happy.”

And now, a revelation…

“It has been an emotional few weeks for me because this is going to be my last WXV and my last Rugby World Cup qualification. Yes, I plan to retire from the Test match scene after the Rugby World Cup, if we qualify for it, of course. So, it is normal to be nervous, feel anxious, etc. It doesn’t matter if I have 40 caps or 15 years of experience… I am human after all.”

A farewell of one of the living legends of the women’s game… do you feel that Spain will be able to find a new Laura Delgado?

“My team doesn’t need a new Laura Delgado, it needs a Maria Mallen, a Sidorella Rodriguez, etc. They are the future. They work hard to be part of the team and have proved that they can replace me without any problem whatsoever. For me, it is all about my country and team. It’s about them, not me.”

We’ve heard that the weather was quite hot, humid and challenging in Dubai. What were your team’s priorities for this second week?

“Our second week was focused on two main things: making a full recovery from the Madagascar game; and working on the little things. We did well in the opening match, but we all acknowledged that we needed to polish some of our skills. So, mornings were dedicated to our skills, and in the afternoon, we worked as a team, tuning our strategy for the Netherlands match.”

Did you feel the team was in tune and ready to take on such a destiny-defining match?

“In the end, it was one of the best weeks we had as a team in the last four years, which is absurdly incredible as we always work well together. Our captain's run went smoothly, and I felt that the team was ready for the moment. I made sure to tell them that, as I need to share positivity and good vibes.”

Now, the Netherlands game… it was brutal and physical, right? Can you tell us what you said in your pre-game speech?

“In my pre-game captain talk, I was focused on being positive with them, especially with our replacement players. For me, the replacements are at the same level as those who start, and in our team, there’s no difference between both. They were vital to secure another win.”

Your team seemed nervous in the first half. What happened?

“I will admit we were making things a bit hard in the first half, but credit to Netherlands for it. They have grown so much since our last game and pushed us for a long period. But I knew we were going to win, and it wasn’t just blind faith. We worked so hard during the week, focused on delivering a big result for ourselves and our fans. We had one goal: win. If we made a mistake, we kept going. If we failed a pass, we kept going. We knew that our dominance would translate into points sooner or later.”

Was there a moment that made you feel ‘We are going to win this’?

“The moment I felt we were going to win, was immediately after our first try. I felt the team at ease and even more focused. The anxiety was dusted off, and our game plan started to click. There was another one, that was massive and showed who we, Las Leonas, are as a team. After the scrum penalty that allowed Amalia Argudo to score the first points in the game, I looked to my front-row team-mates and told them ‘Energy! Energy! Let’s keep going!’. I was tired due to my sickness, but that moment was like a vitality injection to us all.”

What did you feel when the match official signalled the end of the game?

“Proud. How could I not feel proud of what we have done in this WXV 3? But we are already looking forward to the last game, and we need to be focused on Fiji.”

And can you tell us who was your MVP?

“Lourdes Alameda. She was the official MVP, but my decision came before that. She was just incredible, never stopped working and giving her all. She deserves so much respect for what she has achieved in her career.”

With that second win, your team has nine points and is on the top of the pool. You are close to qualifying for the World Cup and potentially earning promotion to WXV 2. Were you able to go to bed after the game, with those things popping into your mind?

“For me, it is always hard to go to sleep after a game. The nerves and excitement don’t disappear just because the game ended, or a new week is starting. However, it is vital to find time to rest, have a breather, and enjoy the off time a bit. It is fundamental to learn how to enjoy that downtime.”

Let’s get to the fun part of the week. Tell us what you did!

“We had great fun in our off time this week. We came up with a big session, with the prizes being chocolates and candy. No money allowed! I won a couple of times and there were a couple of cheaters, as well! In another evening, our staff planned a Tapas night, and we had to dress in costumes. They were excellent, and it tasted like home.”

But the food talk didn’t end up there…

“We had a wonderful pizza in an Italian restaurant. Perfect crust and great cheese. And music, we picked traditional and local Spanish music. We miss home and it was a nice way to remind us of it.”

Can you tell us if there are any funny characters in your team?

“We have our jokesters. Miguel Velasco, our lineout coach, tells the best jokes you will ever hear. And Marieta Román can break the ice on any occasion. She is genuinely funny.”

Sorry for deviating from the off-work talk, but talking about jokesters… what do you feel when you see the ball finding its way to Claudia Peña-Hidalgo’s hands?

“I love it. When Claudia starts running with the ball, I always smile and think ‘Go, Claudia, go!’. I know she will do something ludicrous, and nine times out of 10, it turns out to be a game-changing play.”

There was also an update in the Deborah Cartas (letterbox), with a very special letter from 30-caps Anne de Corres.

“Anne reminded us how important the team is for her, and how it helped her overcome any issues she had in the past. It was a very emotional moment, and talking about it, makes me tearful but very happy.”

How are you always this positive and happy? Tell us the secret!

“The secret for always being happy? There’s only one, to be honest, and it is my love for the game. I wake up every morning thinking about my responsibilities, and what I leave behind at home when I go to practice, camps, games and tournaments, and I never feel unease about my commitment to the game.

“Sometimes, I don’t know where my energy comes from, but I don’t like to throw my arms down and stop. Playing rugby brings me so much joy, and when I share the pitch with my Spanish team-mates, I can be my best version.”

But Laura, can you be that fun and serious at the same time, being the oldest and the captain?

“As a team-mate of mine said, I can be the oldest sibling of the group, or act like the youngest. When I must be serious and responsible, I am. But at the same time, I love to enjoy those small moments that make these competitions and camps special.”

Laura, we have been meaning to ask you this… who’s the first person you call or text after a game?

“My mother. She always gets that first call after a game. And yes, her first question is, after ‘How did it go’ is ‘Have you broken a tooth? Are you okay? Are you injured?’, etc.”

Fiji is next. What needs to happen for your team to earn a third consecutive win?

“Like what we did for Madagascar and Netherlands, we must be focused and work in the same way as we did before. I know it sounds monotonous, but that’s how a successful team works. It is the only way to enjoy rugby and life!”

As we did in the first entry, would you like to share a message with your fans? Do you believe you will be in the next World Cup?

“Yes. Yes, we will be in the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup. 100 per cent. We are ready. Our fans can trust us, we will deliver what we promised.”