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Tess Feury: New Jersey snow, nursing shifts and fresh goals ahead of PWR return
By Tess Feury
Christmas break always feels a bit different when you’re in the middle of a rugby season. It’s not just a holiday with family. For me, it’s a pause from the sport I typically don’t stop thinking about and an opportunity to step away and recharge before diving headfirst into the second half of the Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) season.
This year, that pause took me back home to New Jersey, and it was exactly what I needed after a rollercoaster year of rugby around the world.
Being home reminded me how grounding it is to be surrounded by the people who’ve known me long before international rugby schedules took over my life. My break was filled with long conversations over coffee, lots of home cooked meals, snowy walks and simply being present with family and friends.
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A big part of being home was catching up with friends I don’t get to see often during the season. Life moves fast, so reconnecting with people who have supported my journey from afar helps keep everything in perspective.
The moments I spent laughing with my childhood friends about old memories and talking about where life has taken us reminded me that while rugby is a huge part of who I am, it’s not the only part.
The highlight of the winter break for me was spending every minute I could with my niece and nephew. Being three and a half and 18 months old, they were both born during the height of my Rugby World Cup preparation, so I wanted to try to make up for lost time during my break.
We spent hours coloring, playing games and sledding down my childhood home’s snowy driveway. My niece even got some new Leicester Tigers gear for Christmas, and she would not put the Tigers foam finger down!
I had so much fun giggling with them and trying to fulfill my role as the “Fun Aunt”. Before I knew it, the winter break was over, and it was time to jump on a plane and head back to Leicester.
Returning to training after some time off always brings a shift in energy. The changing rooms are full of chatter, catching up on what everyone did over the break, while also mentally preparing for a tough few weeks of training ahead.
January training has been intense. Not only has it been physically demanding, but the winter weather has definitely made its presence known. There’s something bonding about pushing through tough sessions in the cold, or even snow for one of our sessions, knowing everyone around you is feeling it too and choosing to show up anyway. Those are the moments that strengthen teams long before match day.
Our sessions have consisted of a lot of skill work, off feet conditionings and heavy lifting sets. Our coaches have worked hard to plan out this month, so it was the correct balance of rugby and fitness to ensure we are ready to go come our first game back against Exeter at the end of the month.
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We had one session the evening that Storm Goretti hit Leicester. What started as freezing rain and wind quickly turned into thick snowflakes by the end of our on-field session. A few of our international players from the southern hemisphere have never seen snow falling that hard before. They were so excited and ran out to make snow angels once enough snow had accumulated!
It was a gentle reminder for me how so many of our players come from all different places around the world with so many different life experiences. It is such a special group to be a part of.
One of the highlights since coming back was going as a group to watch the men’s Tigers team play. With our own match schedules, we don’t always get the chance to do that, so being able to sit together in the stands and support was special. Watching from a different perspective, hearing the crowd and being in the atmosphere reminded us why this club means so much to so many people.
Before the match we shared some appetizers that our French teammate, Eneka (Labeyrie) brought back with her from France. We tried all different types of pâté, cheeses and meats. It was fitting considering the Tigers men were playing against her hometown club, Bayonne.
PWR
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
Saracens Women
8
7
1
0
35
2
Gloucester-Hartpury Women RFC
7
7
0
0
35
3
Harlequins Women
7
4
3
0
23
4
Exeter Chiefs Women
7
3
2
2
22
5
Loughborough Lightning
7
3
2
2
21
6
Trailfinders Women
7
3
3
1
20
7
Sale Sharks Women
7
1
5
1
12
8
Bristol Bears Women
7
1
6
0
5
9
Leicester Tigers Women
7
0
7
0
1
Since we don’t have any PWR games scheduled in the month of January, I am using the extra down time to pick up some additional nursing shifts. I work as a pediatric nurse at Leicester Children’s Hospital, typically in the Pediatric ICU or the Pediatric Oncology ward. The hospital environment is intense in a completely different way from rugby, and I enjoy being challenged while also feeling very rewarded when leaving each shift. Balancing rugby and nursing isn’t always easy, but I value the perspective that balance gives me.
What stands out most right now for the Tigers is how eager we are as a group to keep building. Despite a difficult first half of the season, there’s a shared hunger to improve, to learn from our previous games and to raise our standards.
Our coaches asked us to discuss some new goals heading into this next set of games. The squad was connected and on the same page throughout the discussion, focusing on energy, chasing bonus points and connecting in our shape.
The first half of the season is now in the rear-view mirror, and all eyes are forward as we continue to train through the elements leading into our opening game of 2026 away at Exeter!
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