Emily, who was named World Rugby’s Women’s Player of the Year in November 2019, presented the girls with their rugby shirts ahead of the matches they will be playing in the famous sevens competition. The Loughborough Lightning and England player also took part in a Q and A session where she spoke about what inspired her to play rugby, what she thinks it takes to achieve success, and her most memorable moments so far in her rugby career. Emily also gave the girls advice on how to get the most from their forthcoming experience at Rosslyn Park.
The 24 girls in Oakham’s U14 and U18 teams are making history as it is the first time that Oakham School has taken a girls’ rugby team to compete at Rosslyn Park, and for many this is the first time that they have represented the School at rugby.
Director of Sport, Dr Iain Simpson, said: “I am really proud of this group of girls. I applaud them for being trailblazers and for leading the way for more girls to play rugby.”
Accompanying Emily on her visit was a life-size statue of her that has been part of an adidas campaign celebrating women in sport. Emily is one of eight female changemakers chosen to front the sports brand’s campaign for greater female representation after research found that there were more statues of animals than women in London.
The statue will now travel to Oakham Rugby Club, where it will inspire more girls to take up the sport.
Iain said: “A huge thank you to Emily for taking the time to advise and inspire our girls and what an honour to have her statue on campus too.”
Six Oakham School teams in total have travelled to London to compete in the 2023 Rosslyn Park National Schools Sevens. The U18 boys’ team were Runners-Up of the Vase Competition in 2022, the first Oakham School side to achieve this feat since the competition began in 1939.
