England women"s rugby team prove that they can stand on their own two feet

Which is why I found the path taken by the England women’s rugby team before

their recent World Cup final most intriguing. They could have asked any

number of high‑profile rugby people to go into their Paris base to perform

the task, but they did not.

Instead, before the biggest game of their lives, they decided to do the shirt

presentations among themselves.

Gary Street, the head coach, had been contemplating something very different

but the message from his captain, Katy Mclean, was very clear.

“I had a message from Katy in the week that she didn’t want anyone from

outside our circle in,” Street said in the press conference after England’s

victory.

“Don’t tell the girls that,” Mclean said with a laugh.

Street already had, though, and I liked it. It was a fascinating snippet.

There were many factors behind England’s success, but to me this emphasised

many of them. It showed independence of thought. It showed that the squad

was a truly remarkable group of rugby players and people, and it showed that

the women’s game did not want to copy the men’s game slavishly. It showed

that it wanted to stand on its own two feet and be appreciated for what it

is. As Mclean, draped in an England flag, said in that press conference: “As

much as rugby people say you get in a bubble, we created the bubble and the

bubble was right for us. For me that is something really special. People

need to earn to come in.”

A confession here. Until recently I had not seen much women’s rugby. But my

recent journalistic involvements during the World Cup have really opened my

eyes.

Indeed the final at Stade Jean‑Bouin in Paris on Aug 17 was one of my more

memorable rugby experiences. It was not just one match, of course. There

were three matches that afternoon and evening, beginning with New Zealand’s

sealing of fifth place (ouch, that must have hurt the 2010 champions) with

victory against the United States, then on to a raucously supported French

win over Ireland for third place, before England’s victory over Canada in

the final.

It was a wonderful cornucopia of action. In truth the France v Ireland match

now provides the most vivid memories (and I wanted to write this column with

some distance from the events of that day just to check that I was not just

being swept along in the torrents of goodwill and congratulation that have

rightly followed England’s triumph).

For one there was the sight of the France fly-half Sandrine Agricole being

carried from the field, having already persevered after about five bouts of

lengthy treatment, and the whole stadium, including every player on the

field, still applauding her after she had left the field. It was

heartwarming sports(wo)manship.

And for a second there was the remarkable tackling of the France centre

Marjorie Mayans. Anyone who came near her, she simply cut them in half.

The physicality of the play in general was staggering, epitomised by Maggie

Alphonsi’s uncompromising performance for England in the final. Of course,

it was not the same as men’s rugby, but it is never going to be. It does not

need to be.

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28818367

England women"s rugby team prove that they can stand on their own two feet