VIEWPOINT
no reason why we can’t win but it’s pretty competitive out there. Traditionally our most feared opponent was New Zealand, but we’re much more confident now. We don’t really fear any team; we just go out and play our own game.”
Playing on home territory and for many, their county, will also give the girls a boost. “It would obviously be nice to go somewhere exotic!” says Alice “But it’s brilliant that we will have the support of the home crowd and that our family and friends can come along.”
Alice Richardson Alice Richardson in action The World Cup: England tries again
Just when you thought you had seen the back of one world cup competition, along comes another hot on its heels. Except this one does not involve any scandal or injury- ridden male players – and you don’t need to travel to South Africa to watch the matches. Later this month, two locations in Surrey will host the Women’s Rugby World Cup and the England team, seeded second and with several members of the squad selected from Richmond FC’s women’s First XV, actually have a very good chance of winning. Surrey Sports Park at Guildford, and home
of the Harlequins, the Twickenham Stoop, will welcome 11 other national teams to the competition, including favourites New
Zealand, as well as France, Wales, USA, Canada, Australia, Ireland, Scotland, South Africa, Sweden and Kazakhstan. Out of the 25-woman English squad, seven play at Richmond, which saw its women’s First XV finish top of the Premiership in the 2009/10, with a total of 500 points scored, including 86 tries. Given that out of the league’s top-ten points scorers seven were Richmond players, England should stand a good chance of going all the way to the final.
Alice Richardson, who plays fly-half for Richmond (fly-half and centre – numbers 10 and 12 – for England), certainly thinks so: “We definitely have a good chance. There’s
The competition kicks off on Friday August 20 with pool games at the Surrey Sports Park. The opening match is between Canada and Scotland; England play Ireland in the last match of the day. The remaining pool matches are played on August 24 and August 28. The semi-finals and final will be held at the Stoop on September 5. For once ‘come on England’ might yield positive results, and for those still smarting from the English football team’s disallowed goal against Germany back in June, take comfort from the fact that at least in rugby film footage is an accepted part of the game.
For tickets, visit
www.ticketmaster.co.uk/WomensRugbyWorldCup or telephone: 0844 844 2010. To follow England in the WRWC visit
www.rfu.com. For more information on WRWC 2010 visit
www.rwcwomens.com
www.surr e y downsmagazine.c o .uk
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