Who runs the (rugby) world? Girls!
This weekend the 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup kicks off in Aotearoa, with our small but proud nation becoming the first ever country in the Southern Hemisphere to host the event.
Delayed a year thanks to our pesky pal Covid-19, the series is the biggest global women’s 15s rugby tournament, pitting twelve of the world’s best teams against each other.
At Billie we’re never not rooting for the Black Ferns but as welcoming hosts, our Assistant Editor Ruby caught up with four captains from visiting teams to feel the buzz of the tournament build-up. Looking down on the primed grass at Eden Park, Gaëlle Hermet of France, Shannon Parry of Australia, Sarah Hunter of England, and Kate Zackary of USA chatted about the energy behind the women’s game, their anticipation for this Saturday’s record-breaking crowd, and great Kiwi coffee.
How are you feeling as you build up to the first matches this weekend?
Gaëlle (France): I can’t wait to start. We are determined and eager to play here at Eden Park. To be in the homeland of rugby is something we’ve been looking forward to for years. We’ve been waiting even longer due to Covid-19 so it is extra special to finally be here.
Shannon (Australia): Yeah we’re feeling really good. We’re looking forward to our first game against the Kiwis on Saturday night. This tournament will be a massive feat for women’s rugby and it’s epic to have it in the Southern Hemisphere for the first time.
Kate (USA): We’re very ready to kick it off. I think the delay has been good as we’ve had some time to keep building as a team, but everyone is definitely ready to hit the ground running.
Sarah (England): It’s all starting to feel pretty real. Even just being here at Eden Park where the opening game is taking place is a cool feeling.
How do you think this Rugby World Cup feels different from others?
Kate: I think with the unexpected delay, the anticipation is huge. For me personally, it’s my second World Cup and during my first I was really just finding my way in 15s. This World Cup is a great opportunity for me to showcase all that I’ve learned in the last five years.
Sarah: To have over 30,000 fans locked in for the opening game this weekend is truly special. I think that the nature of this competition and the preparation that every nation has put into it, is going to make it the most competitive Rugby World Cup that there’s ever been. That is exactly what we want; we want a microscope on the women’s game so people can notice how brilliant the game is, as well as the people and stories behind it.
In your opinion, why is women’s rugby so captivating to watch, particularly in comparison to the male equivalent?
Gaëlle: What sells women’s rugby to the viewer is its spontaneity, intensity, and energy. I must say that every female player runs onto the field with joy and passion, and the women’s game is also more and more welcoming to all sorts of people.
Shannon: I think the game has gained more respect from viewers, with men all over the world seeing women play and realising how skilful they are in passing, kicking, and catching. It has definitely become more socially-acceptable for girls to play sports dominated by men. It’s awesome to see the growing momentum on TV and the Internet, and we’re seeing growth not only in women’s rugby, but soccer, cricket and rugby league also.
What does it mean to you when you have the opportunity to play in stadiums teeming with fans?
Gaëlle: It’s incredible. When I see the number of people who come to see us, who are there to follow women’s rugby, it is touching. When people take pleasure in watching us play, I couldn’t pray for anything more. I hope we can play well in this tournament and help grow the support of fans.
Kate: The crowd definitely plays a huge role in the game. We do talk about trying not to get caught up in the emotions of the fans, but when you’re up or you have a huge celebration moment as a team, there’s nothing better than hearing the roar of the crowd. To be honest, it can also be good to hear the ‘boo’ of the crowd, because that creates adversity, which is something you want to overcome.
Shannon: I’ve been fortunate enough to play rugby sevens in front of some massive crowds and I think having the tournament in NZ, which is such a rugby-rich nation, is going to be fantastic for the women’s game.
Sarah: Hearing that over 30,000 fans are coming on opening day is ridiculously good. I’ve been to a few world cups now and we haven’t ever talked about 30,000 fans at a final let alone an opening game.
What is your advice for young girls who dream of becoming professional rugby players like yourselves?
Shannon: I’d say just get in there and give it a go. You’re not going to realise how fun it is until you get in there and take that risk. That's how I fell into the sport as an 18 year old.
Gaëlle: My advice would be to play rugby with passion. It is a sport that holds incredible values that you share with fellow players. Rugby is a great sport because it allows you to push yourself into contact, and is accessible to women of all shapes and sizes. My team is like a second family to me, because we spend most of our time together during the season.
What do you think it will take to win this tournament?
Shannon: I think it will take a massive effort. There are twelve highly-competitive teams here and it’s almost a war of nutrition. It’s a 6-7 week campaign, which is a new development within World Rugby in a sense. We’re playing every weekend, meaning the competition has a short turnaround which is great for the women’s game. The Australian team’s focus is firstly getting out of our pool, and then seeing what happens from there.
Kate, what is the rugby environment like in the United States?
Kate: It’s growing. We’re a massive country so we always have a lot of logistical challenges, but we also have a lot of sports. America has everything under the sun from athletics to football, american football, field hockey, lacrosse - the list is endless! Despite that, rugby is one of the fastest growing sports in the US. Rugby provides young girls with the opportunity to tackle and face contact, which is rare in other sports. There is a lot of interest, it is just a matter of creating actual opportunities.
Sarah, how does it feel to be part of the English team who are the favourites coming into the tournament?
Sarah: We try to block out any external noise around favourites. I think we’re really good as a group, we don’t talk about what people think of us or where we sit in terms of world rankings or anything like that. All of our focus is on performance and how we can improve. Not to be cliché, but it’s about focussing on one game at a time. As soon as we start getting ahead of ourselves, complacency will set in.
How are you enjoying New Zealand?
Kate: The people are amazing. Kids have showed up at our practices to just watch and have us sign their t-shirts. They don’t care that we’re from the USA, they are just happy to meet rugby players, so I think that was really cool. You can tell that everyone loves rugby here. Everyone is buzzing for the Rugby World Cup right now.
Outside of rugby, we’ve drunk a lot of coffee and done a lot of shopping. We visited Kitekite falls for a swim, which was really cold but beautiful. I had never swum in a waterfall like that before.
Sarah: We’ve been here a week, and have squeezed in a few outings outside of training. We had a really unusual summer in England this year with heatwaves and no rain for months, so the Auckland weather has definitely surprised us so far. Despite that, we’ve loved exploring the Auckland CBD and waterfront, as well as enjoying some nice coffees and brunches.
Get your tickets to watch these women tear up the field here.
