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Trailfinders' White on why PWR play-off spot is becoming more of a reality
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Currently only one point separates Trailfinders Women from a top four position in the PWR table after retrieving a result at the weekend you would expect of a team speckled with international stars.
Their incredible potential sparkled to life last Friday evening as the West London team took arguably their biggest scalp of the season, beating Harlequins 21-17 at The Stoop, moving them to fifth in the PWR standings, the highest they have been all season.
Dynamic and hard-working, Trailfinders winger Grace White has found her feet in green and white this season, emerging as a promising international talent, already having represented England at age grade level and GB Sevens.
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Known for her athleticism, physicality, and relentless work rate, she has developed a reputation as a dependable back who contributes strongly in both attack and defence.
The story of Trailfinders season has been a challenging one to date, showing attacking potential and competing closely with top sides, while continuing to fight for a place among the league’s more established teams.
White plays alongside several talented and experienced players in the Trailfinders backline. Two players who spring to her mind are England and GB Sevens’ Meg Jones and Emma Uren.
“They are massively influential on and off the pitch,” admires the winger. “In regards to playing with Meg and Emma, you’ve got a real contrast of 15s superstar and sevens superstar. It’s about how you adapt and play off those players. Emma is lightning quick so half the time she makes a line break, I’m like, ‘oh my gosh!’ I need to pre-empt that she’s going to make a line break because if I don’t, I’m never going to catch her.
“You get great quality and service with Meg and each player offers something slightly different. It’s just about asking myself how I can accommodate for different players outside me so I can get the best out of me and them.”
Having been involved with England U20’s and the U21 development pathway, White’s also earned a recent call up to the U23s camp.
“I feel very grateful to have been called back in as I broke my ankle when I was 18 and was unhappy for a year. It set me back a bit and I felt like I was out of the pathway. Then with the new U23s where they call back older players, I felt really fortunate to have been chosen to come back into that environment.
“I felt like as an older player, I’ve got nothing to lose. I’m being loud, I’m working off my wing and I’m popping up in random places because it’s probably my last year of having access to something like that. The girls there are absolutely quality.
“It’s nice to have different coaching input as well because people obviously view the games differently so the more holistic view I get, the better player I’ll become.”
White has shown a clear evolution in her game since moving from Bristol Bears Women to Trailfinders Women, both in terms of role and overall impact.
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At Bristol, she was viewed as a young, high potential outside back, offering pace and a reliable finishing option out wide but still developing her all-round game. Since joining Trailfinders, however, her responsibilities and influence have noticeably grown.
She has become a more complete and involved winger, contributing not just in finishing but across the pitch – evidenced by her all-round stats including carries, metres made, tackles, and offloads.
“I think my confidence has increased loads. I’m definitely more confident will ball in hand. Hopefully my teammates feel the same way. I’m maturing more as a person and feel more comfortable with the Premiership environment. I think the more I develop myself off the pitch, the more influential I can be on the pitch.
“My game understanding is better too since leaving Bristol. I think that just comes with exposure and knowing what to do in certain situations or being in certain pitch positions, whereas when I was at Bristol Bears, I was more of a catch and run winger. I feel like I’m more dynamic and have a bit more of an aim at Trailfinders now”.
There is only one round of PWR action left this weekend before internationals disappear for the Women’s Six Nations and Pacific Four Series which begin next month (11th April).
With several key players set to depart the club, this final round offers teams a vital opportunity to solidify their standings, build confidence, and create separation from close rivals- never more important for Trailfinders who are level on points with Quins. Performances and results now could shape the trajectory of the rest of the season, before the league resumes at the end of May, as White knows only too well.
“We really want to push for that top four and believe that we can get into the play-offs. We’re really trying to lock in on what our goals are and drive standards in training to make sure we’re best prepped to get points out of games and keep putting pressure on the top four teams. We want to fulfil our potential, we’ve got so much more to give.”
