Rugby Union

Army women's head coach: My main focus is these players

The Army Women's Rugby team held trials at their base in Aldershot as they prepare to get their season under way. 

The Army, who won the Inter Services title against the RAF last season, are hoping to repeat their success this season as they begin building their team for their Inter Services defence. 

The newly appointed Head Coach of the Army Women's Rugby team, Warrant Officer Class 2 Sarah Mitchelson, is already using her wealth of experience as a Wasps and Army player to help her players.

WO2 Mitchelson, who took over from predecessor Major Gemma Stonebridge-Smith in September, said she hopes that the players "feed off my passion for the game".

She said: "I am hoping that they feed off my passion for the game and they feel that through my coaching.

"It is about the players, not particularly about the team. Clearly my goal this season is the Army team, but actually my main focus is these players. 

"I have got 82 girls that have signed up here and it is not just about the 15 or 23 that make the squad, it is about the development of all of them all the way through."

The women's game has experienced a sharp rise in popularity on the back of the Women's Rugby World Cup that recently took place in New Zealand. 

Harlequins' player Sergeant Jade Mullen played for the UK Armed Forces team that played at the International Defence Rugby Competition in New Zealand that ran alongside the Women's World Cup. 

The Harlequins centre, who is club teammates with World Cup and RAF players Amy Cokayne and Sarah Bonar, believes that the tournament will help boost women's rugby across the military. 

She said: "To go out there and watch the World Cup in New Zealand was like a phenomenal once-in-a-lifetime chance, not many people get to say they have gone to New Zealand and go for work.

"The women's game has just grown from that, they sold out for the final, the support from here in the UK was amazing and the women's game is just going to keep on growing and obviously we just want to look forward to the World Cup and supporting the home nations here."

The Inter Services championships culminate with the Army v Navy clash at Twickenham Stadium, where the women's fixture was staged for the first time last year.

Senior Army player Staff Sergeant Nat Lewis admits that the unforgettable experience of playing at Twickenham and having the chance to play there again is keeping her in the sport. 

She said: "To finally get an opportunity to play at Twickenham, you come out of the tunnel, and you couldn't hear each other, so to have that and to know that what we had and what we are going to continue to get as we progress through the years to come.

"I think it took about two weeks to get over the fact that we played at Twickenham because you just constantly saw a picture, your mates reminded you and you just had that instant buzz and hopefully it is the same this year as well."

The Army's first fixture is scheduled for early in the new year, where they'll face a tough test against Sweden. 

 

Join Our Newsletter

WatchUsOn

Four-legged Jeep: Why US Marines still use animals in war

Nato's weapon systems in the High Northđź§­

Analysing the weapons in China’s 'peace' parade | Sitrep podcast