Women’s rugby is riding a tidal wave –aa recent World Rugby report found 49% of fans were won over in the past two years alone. How has this rapid growth in the global game reverberated at CURUFC?

It certainly is! Over the past few years that I’ve been at CURUFC, the club has welcomed more and more girls who have taken the leap into rugby. It is so exciting to watch the women’s side of the club continue to grow and build on the foundations laid by the trailblazing Old Girls back in 1988. As a club, we always remind ourselves of the barriers they faced and the challenges they overcame to enable the women’s side of CURUFC to be where it is today.

As someone so invested in the sport, how has it felt to watch attendance, television and ticket sale records be ripped up and rewritten by this summer’s home World Cup?

Having been told I could no longer play rugby aged eight because I couldn’t continue with the boys and there was no girls team to join, watching the surge in women’s rugby has been nothing short of immense, and actually pretty emotional. When they announced the record-breaking attendance at the World Cup Final last Saturday I was in tears. I would give anything to be aged eight playing rugby with the recognition, atmosphere and investment that is blossoming today. I am so happy for the opportunities that are becoming available for young girls now, and I hope this only continues to grow.

“In all seriousness we could have some of the next Red Roses in our midst”

This Red Roses team have embarked upon the longest winning streak in international rugby history, going over 1,000 days without losing. Does witnessing such all-time greatness on a national level stoke flames at the grassroots?

How could it not? The legends of women’s rugby are our very own idols. They all got where they are today through grassroots pathways that girls all over the country are now learning and playing at. Some of the Red Roses even only found their way to rugby when they were undergrads at university and fancied giving another sport a go. Just like a lot of girls do at CURUFC… In all seriousness, we could have some of the next Red Roses in our midst!

Athlete turnover is especially high for the upcoming season and CURUFC is set to welcome lots of fresh faces; as a captain how do you navigate these annual squad shake-ups?

With open arms. I could not be more encouraging of rugby as a sport, and CURUFC as a community. Rugby is such an inclusive game. We need strong girls, tall girls, small girls, fast girls – all girls! The team bond that is built each year goes well beyond the pitch, and the new faces that join each year become a part of a deep-rooted CURUFC family. It’s truly special.

Grange Road’s historic but worn-out pitch has been revamped with state-of-the-art Artificial Grass this summer, in what must be a highly exciting overhaul?

This year, to say the least, will be a landmark chapter for CURUFC. For those who have played at CURUFC, Grange Road holds a very special place in all our hearts. I encourage all players and non-players to learn of Grange Road’s immense history; and the development of the new artificial grass pitch will ensure that history will continue to be made there.

“The increasing growth and investment in women’s rugby comes hand in hand with rising standards and higher bars to meet”

You were one of only eight Cambridge sports teams to compete in BUCS’s coveted Premier Division last season. What learnings will you take from the top echelon, and how has that experience fuelled ambitions for this year’s second tier campaign?

The increasing growth and investment in women’s rugby that we are witnessing comes hand in hand with rising standards and higher bars to meet across all levels of the game. I have no doubt this season will positively challenge us in so many ways, with new opponents to face, new examples to set and a determination to establish our place at the top of a new league. After a great start to our preseason, I’m really looking forward to our season ahead.

As much as women’s rugby is blossoming, there are still plenty of leaves that remain unturned – women’s rugby teams remain conspicuously absent from swathes of Cambridge colleges. What needs to happen now for the sport to fully flourish?

Fear not, for we are busy flourishing! CURUFC welcomes players of all experience levels, and we have an incredible set up with excellent coaches that support the development of players across three entire squads throughout the year. Our Jaguars, Tigers, and Blues teams all take on The Other Place in monumental Varsity Match clashes that are an epic highlight of every year. This club has so much to offer, you’ve just got to come along and find out for yourself!