Beth Blacklock prepares to take flight on and off the field as Saracens target PWR title

Saracens are flying into the Premiership Women’s Rugby play-offs and one of their players Beth Blacklock also has flying on her mind.

The StoneX Stadium outfit finished second in the regular season standings, ending with a run of three bonus-point wins versus Sale Sharks 54-0, Loughborough Lightning 62-24 and Trailfinders Women 80-14.

As a result, they are now preparing for a home semi-final with third placed Exeter Chiefs this Sunday as they look to make it to the final on Sunday 28 June and aim to win the title for the first time since 2021/22.

They already have the PWR Cup in the bag from earlier in the campaign and to win the double would be an incredibly hard fought achievement.

It is also a hard fight to get into the Saracens matchday 23 right now, but in the last two matches 28-year-old centre Blacklock has managed to claim a place on the bench and has played her part, including eight points from the kicking tee versus Trailfinders.

She is also keen to play her part in the play-offs if called upon, but since she made the decision to retire from Scotland duties earlier this year the former Durham University, Darlington Mowden Park Sharks and Harlequins playmaker has also been looking at a number of things out with the rugby bubble.

“I have always been someone who has balanced rugby with other things and coming out of the Rugby World Cup last year and then making my Scotland decision in March I have begun to think about other areas I’d like to work in and explore when my playing days are over,” Blacklock, who was brought up on Mersea Island in Essex and who qualified to wear the thistle six times via her mum’s family connections, said.

“Previously I was a data product manager for Jaguar and I loved that. I really enjoyed working as hard as I did to get to into the Scotland World Cup squad last year and I was proud of myself for that, but I missed having a job alongside rugby during that period.

“Fast forward a few months and I’ve now got a couple of jobs on the go out with rugby. I’m working as an account manager for a motion design firm called Motion the Agency which uses AI, UX/UI, 2D and 3D animations to help companies with video strategies.

“I’m also working as a sporting partnerships manager with the First Rep Group where I help bridge the gap between people who are elite athletes and the tech industry.

“Coming from a data engineering background I obviously love and understand the value of technology and data. I’m helping athletes who are thinking of retiring to understand that, although they might not have the experience of working in tech, a lot of what they have gained from sport is transferable and can help them excel in the technology sector. So, it is about trying to help them navigate that transition.

“I’m really enjoying these two roles and it’s nice having that mix between them and my rugby as well as spending times with my family and friends – I like to have a good mixture in the cocktail that is my life!”

Another thing to throw into Blacklock’s ‘life cocktail’ is soon likely to be flying.

“My mum has always told me you should keep a number of doors open so that you can choose your path and my dream has always been to fly aircraft,” she stated.

“Whenever anyone asked me what animal I would be growing up my answer was always a bird so that I could fly. Why wouldn’t I choose to fly every single day when we have the magic and the means to do it ourselves?

“As I want to be a commercial pilot post-rugby, the training would be via a flying school and it would be for 18 months. It is certainly something I am excited about and want to embrace when the opportunity comes around.”

For now, the opportunity that is in front of Blacklock and co at Saracens on the rugby pitch is to reach a PWR final. To do that they know they will need to be at their best to see off the Chiefs this coming weekend.

“Everybody’s very excited and looking forward to the semi-final,” Blacklock, who as well as turning out for Saracens has represented Glasgow Warriors and Old Albanians during loan spells this season, concluded.

“It’s been a very strong season for us and everybody is on the same page right now. This is my third year here and after last year’s final loss it would be great for the club to get back to that stage and get a different result this time around.

“Things have been building nicely since everyone came back from Six Nations and PAC 4 duties and the only focus just now is this Sunday and keeping our good form going.”