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American set to break new ground with Reds in Super Rugby Women’s
Charli Jacoby will tell you cheerleading and rugby union have a lot in common.
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And the Chicago prop, set to become the first American to play in Australia’s rebranded Super Rugby Women’s, would know.
Jacoby was a 20-year-old student at Ohio’s Kent State University when her classmates, who had some rugby experienced, convinced her to ditch the pom poms and pack into a scrum.
“You’d be surprised how much it translates,” the 34-year-old told AAP ahead of the Queensland Reds’ grand final rematch with Fijiana Drua on Sunday at Ballymore.
“The guys holding up the girls in cheerleading, it’s like a lineout … lots of teamwork and coordination.
“The girls on my floor at Kent State told me to come along that day and it was a lot of fun. I never knew rugby existed.”
Jacoby then scoured YouTube to learn how to scrum and 14 years later she is a 24-capped American prop who has played in a World Cup and in England’s Premier 15 with Exeter and Loughborough.
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The qualified primary school teacher plans to retire from playing after the next World Cup and transition into coaching as the country prepares to host the men’s Rugby World Cup in 2031 and women’s event in 2033.
Former Reds women’s assistant coach Sione Fukofuka is now the USA women’s head coach while Wallaroos fullback Lori Cramer has returned to the Reds from the NSW Waratahs after a season in Exeter with Jacoby.
“I love everything set piece, I love defence,” Jacoby said.
“Coming here, I joke that when I leave Australia – it’s less structured than in England – I better have some footwork because I’m so used to running hard and straight.
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“To play here and take home all I learn … we don’t have many coaches that have been in high performance environments like this.
“And everyone needs a good personality hire, and I think I bring that.”
Jacoby’s scrum craft will aid last year’s beaten grand finalists as much as her booming voice and all-round presence.
“What an American to bring,” Cramer said.
“She’s definitely the loudest out there; an absolute foghorn for a set of lungs.
“Someone like Charli with character and technical knowledge, it’ll be great for our younger girls.”
Grant Anderson has taken over as Queensland coach while centre Cecilia Smith will assume the captaincy after Shannon Parry’s retirement.
The Reds have finished runner-up five times in the competition’s six-year history.
Cramer, who also finished second in her season with the Waratahs, needs no reminding.
She expects the two-time defending champions Drua to be even tougher to beat with another pre-season of conditioning to match their sheer talent.
Wallaroo forward Liz Patu has been named for her Reds return just eight months after the birth of her child.
Test debutants Faitala Moleka and Tabua Tuinakauvadra will aid the ACT Brumbies’ building effort.
They’ll play the Waratahs on Saturday at Allianz Stadium, the hosts desperate to improve on last season’s semi-final exit after four-straight titles.
“It was hard,” Waratahs captain Piper Duck said on Thursday.
“That’s my first time ever being kicked out in the semi finals, so it definitely hurt.
“But it’s just made us hungrier.”
The Melbourne Rebels have recruited Wallaroos captain Grace Hamilton while Trilleen Pomare and Michaela Leonard, who played with Jacoby at Exeter, will lead the Western Force.
They have named 11 new faces in the side to play the Rebels in Friday’s season opener at Perth’s HBF Park, including Reds five-eighth Renae Nona and flanker Lucy Dinnen, the 2021 Super W player of the season.
Comments on RugbyPass
“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
37 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
1 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
33 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
5 Go to comments