International boost for RAF Women's rugby union team ahead of Inter Services battle against Army
International rugby stars Amy Cokayne, Carys Williams-Morris and Sarah Bonar have joined the RAF women's rugby team for a final training camp as they prepare to face the reigning champions, the Army, for the second round of the Inter Services.
The RAF could win the Inter Services title on Saturday if they beat the Army, having already seen off a tough Navy side in the first round three weeks ago.
Taking a break from the Six Nations tournaments, England's Amy Cokayne and Wales' Carys Williams-Morris will start for the RAF, as Scotland's Sarah Bonar continues to recover from an injury.
Having won the title in 2019, Flight Lieutenant Cokayne has high hopes of replicating that success.
"It would be huge", she said. "Having won it then, having a few years out [due to covid-19] and having to watch the Army win it last year, I definitely get that bit between my teeth and I want to go for it again this year."
The inclusion of Cokayne, Williams-Morris and Bonar may well boost an already confident RAF team, following its victory over the Royal Navy in Plymouth three weeks ago, thanks to a stunning hat-trick by Chelcey Greasley
Flying Officer Williams-Morris says that the RAF's result in Plymouth puts the team "in a really good position" as they prepare to face the Army.
She said: "The girls worked really well against the Navy in what were really tough conditions and a tough opposition.
"So to get the win and to ground out the win in that game puts us in a really good position now to face the Army this week and hopefully we are aiming to win that game, which we weren't able to do last year.
"Having Amy back in the forward, she is a massive leader and she'll have some good carries for us across the park and hopefully I can bring that into the back line, so I'm really excited."
Despite not being able to play due to injury, Flight Lieutenant Bonar will be cheering from the side lines.
She said: "It's frustrating to be injured, especially at the business end of the season.
"The girls have got such a good opportunity this weekend against the Army and training has been positive.
"The girls are coming together and I think it's going to be a really exciting match."
RAF Head Coach, Warrant Officer John Wilding, has expressed his gratitude to the English, Welsh and Scottish Rugby Unions for releasing Cokayne, Williams-Morris and Bonar to play in what could be a crucial game against the Army.
He said: "It would be nice if we could deconflict the Six Nations with the Inter Services so that they could actually play a full part for the service they want to play for rather than have to make the choice but hey, we are where we are.
"Credit to the unions for releasing them to us and you can't say enough for what they're doing.
"They're very proud Welsh, English and Scottish, and playing for their country is the ultimate honour and we fully support that."
WO Wilding expects the Army to "do what the Army does best" as the RAF attempts to win back the Inter Services.
"You've got to give credit to the Army," he said. "They've set the bar for 20 years plus in women's rugby and deservedly so.
"They've never let their standards slip and they demand that we get close to them and we are rising to that challenge hopefully, and the Army does what the Army does best.
"If you poke them in the face, they will come back hard and demand whether you can back it up.
"And we didn't back it up last year, the Army played really well and rightly won the Inter Services.
"That's our challenge now - (to) actually come back, show them what we can do and see where we are come two o'clock on Saturday."
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