Inspired by World Class Female Professional Rugby Players

Inspired by World Class Female Professional Rugby Players
  • Athletics
  • Life in Setagaya
  • Middle School
Rachel Grantham

This month, we feature Eloise Jones (Grade 6) who is female rugby player inspired by some world class professional female rugby players competing in the Women’s Rugby World Cup finals. Read more about Eloise’s journey in her chosen sport of rugby.

 
Eloise Jones

Grade 6

Rugby

Some people get scared (Including me) when they have a chance to tackle and don’t take it. Other people may think that rugby is a dangerous sport and are scared they are going to get hurt. My advice for that is, if you learn how to play properly, it is likely you won’t get hurt.

How old were you when you started your chosen sport?: 
Eloise: I started rugby when I was 10 years old.

How did you start and become interested in your sport? (Parents' signed you up? You saw someone competing and decided to attempt it):

Eloise: I decided to start rugby because I was inspired by the Womens Rugby World Cup final involving England’s Red Roses and New Zealand’s Black Ferns. That was the only game I had watched and did not know anything about it or how to play. It inspired me to try rugby because of how the game was played and its uniqueness. I realised that it is not like any other sport I had seen before. 

How long have you been engaging in your sport?

Eloise:I have played rugby for a year and a few months now and it has really boosted my confidence and fitness. 


 

rugby player

How often do you train, and where do you train?:

Eloise: I train with Shibuya International Rugby Club in Showa Women's University every Sunday in Sangenjaya. Everyone in the team is at a different level because we started at different times. When we play, it is usually in the intermediate level, but it is never proper rugby with 15 players and a big scrum. 

What level of competition do you engage in?
Eloise: None of our games are ever serious, they are friendly games and we never compete in competitions. It is usually a festival where we mix teams and get to know other people from other places. We do games every few months with the Edogawa Rugby team where we play friendly matches against them and people get a chance to win medals. 

How successful have you been? Did you win or do extremely well in certain competitions, and please describe what competitions they are:

Eloise: The first time I competed against them, I won a medal for tackling. It was unfortunate that we did not win, though. 


Have you faced any challenges?

Eloise: One challenge that I faced was when I wasn't getting into the game enough and was standing back following the other players. This occurs when I am playing with people older than me and more experienced than me.


Any final words of advice for budding athletes:

Eloise: One piece of advice I would give to anyone that would want to try rugby is not to be afraid to try out. All the players and coaches are really supportive and friendly and you can always rely on them to teach you something every week. Some people get scared (Including me) when they have a chance to tackle and don’t take it. Other people may think that rugby is a dangerous sport and are scared they are going to get hurt. My advice for that is, if you learn how to play properly, it is likely you won’t get hurt. And if you are scared you will get hurt, there is always touch rugby. And you do not always have to rely on yourself. 

A final sports quote:

“No rugby player, no matter how talented, has ever won a game by playing alone.” -Ben Hunt-Davis
 

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