'It’s moments like this that we will remember for years to come'

Week two of preseason is complete! It’s been a tough week but it will definitely be worth it come September. As you can probably imagine, preseason consists of a lot of rugby, conditioning and gym, so I won’t bore you with the ins and outs of that – but more so the stuff we get up to off the pitch!

Earlier in the week, we found out about the renaming of Twickenham Stadium to Allianz Stadium. It may have come as a surprise to some, but for me, I think it’s a really exciting time for English rugby, especially in the women’s and grassroots game.

My first experience of Allianz as a rugby partner was when Saracens’ home was Allianz Park – it was the first place I played women’s rugby. In 2020, they took over the sponsorship of the Premier 15s (now Premiership Women’s Rugby) and there has been a massive uplift in commercial interest and visibility because of that.

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Abbie Ward: Bump in the Road | trailer

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We’ve also seen a really big correlation between their investment and the standard of the league and the increased standard of women’s rugby. Without companies like Allianz, we wouldn’t be where we are today. We’re definitely going in the right direction and with their support we’re able to put our best foot forward and perform better.

Understandably, there will be people out there who want Twickenham to remain Twickenham because of the history that it holds, but as a women’s rugby player who has seen what impact funding has had on the men’s side of the game, it’s exciting and massive for the game to have Allianz pledge their long-term commitment.

The Red Roses are going to be the first England team to play in the newly named Allianz Stadium on Saturday 14th September. For us, that’s really special because not only are we going to be the first team, we’re also going to be playing New Zealand in a really competitive game where it’s the World Champions coming to take on the world number one side. To be the first to run out there will be another pivotal moment in Red Roses history.

As a squad, it’s massively important that we connect off the pitch as well as on the pitch and preseason is a great place to make new memories. Not only do you go to a dark place together whilst emptying the tank on the field but you can also create some hilarious moments in the weirdest of places.

Imagine this, your S&C coach, walking into a team meeting in John Mitchell’s black suit pretending to be Michael Buffer shouting ‘let’s get ready to rumble’ as we started our Red Roses mini Olympics last week with arm wrestling.

This week, he was dressed in a Hawaiian skirt and floral shirt holding the ‘Hula Round’ which consisted of who could hula hoop for the longest and a limbo competition. I have been very fortunate with my Yellow Team with the off-field challenges, winning gold and silver in the arm wrestling, as well as gold in the hula hoop and silver in the limbo challenge! We won’t talk about the rugby results though…

It’s moments like this that we will remember for years to come. And I’ve really enjoyed hearing some of the 2014 Rugby World Cup-winning girls share stories about their time in an England shirt and the challenge that they are currently involved in.

To mark the ten-year anniversary of that historic day in Paris and to support World Cup-winning head coach Gary Street who unfortunately suffered a stroke this year, members of the 2014 World Cup squad have undertaken the challenge of doing 2,014 kilometres of running, cycling, rowing, and swimming between them to raise necessary funds for Gary’s rehabilitation.

I can imagine some of them probably haven’t done that much exercise since hanging up their boots, but I bet they have loved being back involved in a team challenge and having the opportunity to chat to and reminisce with old teammates.

Having got home this evening I am very excited to switch off for the weekend. Camp is intense, so it is really important to rest up and recover in between. This weekend will be three days of chill. I’m looking forward to sitting on the sofa, watching the Olympics and cheering on the GB athletes from home.

 

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I’ve never been massively into the Olympics, but this year I have loved it. I have loved following individuals’ journeys and seeing them shine on the big stage. From the likes of Keely Hodgkinson who was on her own personal journey to finally get that gold medal, to Simone Biles who has paved the way and fought for not only herself but for many others and continues to be the GOAT in her field!

Maybe it’s because I can now appreciate the hard work that goes on behind closed doors… Professional sport is hard, but it is so worth it!