Phil Taylor and Amy Greaves chatted to Kate and Lizzie of the UoN Women’s Rugby Union Club, ahead of Varsity and after a stellar BUCS season.
How has the season gone so far?
K & L: “It’s gone pretty well, at the moment we are second in the league (BUCS Midlands 1A), we have come a long way and have some great new freshers who have stepped up.”
You spoke about new players; are there any in particular that have really impressed?
K & L: “It has been very encouraging to see new players coming in. It’s great to see how many people, without having played rugby before, have come in during Freshers Week to try something new, and the improvement is great to watch for us!”
How many teams do you have?
K & L: “We have two teams who train together; we want it to be fluid and all-inclusive. The second squad is a development side, but they have more than held their own against other university teams.'”
How is the preparation for Varsity going?
K & L: “Our last league [match] was Sunday 13th March, so after that it has all been Varsity!
“We were back from Easter early for Varsity, with an intense training schedule; training is on Wednesdays now, and we have friendlies to get our match fitness up.
“Freshers will be playing Varsity; girls such as Bryony, Jodie and Lily. We scrap the first and second teams for Varsity, so everyone gets a clean slate, so to speak. Everyone has a chance to play in the game, using a trial system again to pick the team.”
What do you think are your best strengths as a team?
K & L: “We are all friends, on and off the pitch, and that shows through during games.
“Rugby can be a very individual game, but you have to work as a 15 and we do that in [a] way that accommodates for the individual talent!”
How is your recent record against Trent?
K & L: “We’ve beaten them the last 4 years; we [Kate and Lizzie] haven’t lost a Varsity, and this is our third year! We definitely can do it!
“It is always a massive game just because of the atmosphere; we’ve beaten them twice in the league already, so we know their strengths and weaknesses.
“Trent always do well in the first half but we got ahead in the second half – it is always a tough game!
“In the league, we started off sluggishly but managed to come back.”
What is the best thing about Varsity?
K & L: “The whole club coming together. The crowd is always fantastic, and it spurs you on to go further – the atmosphere and hype is so different to the league matches.”
BUCS Rugby Union 2015-2016 – Midlands 1A
| P | W | D | L | GD | BP | Pts | ||
| 1 | Birmingham 1st | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 153 | 6 | 37 |
| 2 | Nottingham 1st | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 120 | 6 | 36 |
| 3 | Leicester 1st | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 58 | 8 | 28 |
| 4 | Worcester 1st | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | -36 | 9 | 25 |
| 5 | Nottingham Trent 1st | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | -156 | 5 | 17 |
| 6 | Oxford Brookes 1st | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | -139 | 5 | 12 |
Varsity Rugby Union is on Sunday 1st May, at Lady Bay Stadium.
Interview conducted by Phil Taylor
Words by Amy Greaves
Image: Impact Image Team
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