Women"s Rugby World Cup: The morning after and England"s triumph feels as if ...

Flanker Marlie Packer is one of many in the 26-strong squad returning to a

job. On Thursday at 10am the 24-year-old plumber from Yeovil will clock on

for a nine-hour shift with HomeServe in south-west London, tending all sorts

of call-outs for blocked lavatories, dripping taps and faulty pipes. She

admits that she might take her World Cup winner’s medal to work.

“I’ve got so many pockets in my work gear, I’m sure I could sneak it along

with me,” said Packer, sporting the spoils of combat, suitably bruised and

battered. “I love the job, been doing it for four years, moving here to

London last year so that I could be nearer the other girls for training. Of

course, I’d like to be a full-time professional but that’s not there yet.”

Half the squad have full-time jobs, be it in teaching, the police force,

plumbing or various versions of fitness coaches. Six work for the Rugby

Football Union as community coaches in schools and universities. Rachel

Burford, the 28-year-old centre, decided to put her community coaching

career on hold and move back home with her parents so that she could

concentrate on full-time training.

“I took a 10-month sabbatical but it has been worth it,” Burford said. “Money

is only money while this sort of experience is for a lifetime. We have all

made sacrifices in different ways, and all that blood, sweat and tears, has

been worth it. None of us could have done it without the support of others.”

There has been plenty of debate at Twickenham about trying to fund a full-time

women’s squad. Those discussions will have an even sharper edge after

Sunday.

“I don’t think professionalism is too far away,” said Gary Street, the England

Women’s coach, a stalwart figure at the sharp end for seven years. “I know

that there have been talks. The girls are professional in everything they do

apart from the fact that they don’t get paid. Our life as coaches is to go

out on the road and see them. Every minute of every one of 107 days was

mapped from Jan 1 up until Sunday’s final.”

Street had much to contend with. His father, Billy, suffered a heart attack

during the build-up to the tournament. “My mum wouldn’t let him watch the

match on TV in case he got too excited,” Street said. “She allowed him up

from his bed with about five minutes to go.”

Street’s wife, Helen, has suffered from arthritis for several years but in her

husband’s absences has managed to raise the family as well as cope with her

own day job in the Twickenham ticket office.

Street was at the helm when England lost to 13-10 New Zealand in the 2010

final at the Twickenham Stoop. He pledged after that to continue the quest

for glory, along with two thirds of the current squad.

Perceptions as to what the women’s game has to offer have changed enormously.

“Ten years ago there was a guy at the International Rugby Board who told me

that the women’s game was a nonsense,” Street said. “He called me after the

final and admitted that he was shocked by the change. He watches a lot of

Top 14 rugby in France and tells me that the women’s game is much better.”

One of those who has really caught the eye for the verve of her play, and the

Wilkinsonesque accuracy of her goal-kicking, is Emily Scarratt, the

24-year-old Lichfield centre, whose 16-point haul in the final, including a

terrific second-half try, contributed mightily to victory.

“Winning a World Cup is an insane feeling,” Scarratt, a teacher in Birmingham,

said. “Four years ago we didn’t manage to do it. Eight years ago we didn’t

manage to do it. So this is fantastic. If you offered me a full-time

contract tomorrow of course I’d bite your hand off. It would be lovely.”

For the moment, the value was to be had in the company of mates. As the

homecoming reception broke up, there were many hugs and smiles as they went

their separate ways. They all had the sort of memories that money could not

buy.

Article source: http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Bath-Rugby-players-selected-England-training-camp/story-22300424-detail/story.html

Women"s Rugby World Cup: The morning after and England"s triumph feels as if ...