Sitting In The Cheap Seats

After a restful week off to recoverfrom the rigours of the Scottish winter the Red Roses return this weekend asSimon Middleton’s charges head to Doncaster to face off against Ireland. Icaught up with Lark Davies , the Loughborough Lightning hookerwith an eye for a try, to find out the mood in the England Women camp!

It’s a break week in the Six Nations and normally this wouldmean a quiet week for top flight women’s rugby in general but thanks to a previouslycalled off game we get a little bit of Tyrrells Premier 15s action as SaracensWomen head to the RAG. We caught up with long-serving forward Sonia Green to talk about why this is always a special game, the season so far and her dayjob too. “I’m itching to play actually, I can’t wait!” Sonia tells mewhen we catch up the evening before kick off. “The game got cancelled beforeChristmas, we were all fired up and ready to play on that Saturday and it gotcancelled last minute because of the weather.” Cancelling a game is always frustrating and Richmond wouldhave been as disappointed as Saracens. For the visitors it has provided asurprising benefit though, with Bryony Cleall fit to take part after ayear out. “It’s a big game for us, Richmond is always a big game. There’s a lotof rivalry between us so for her to come back in this game is great for her ...

We’re sat in the plush bar at The Lensbury, enjoying thewarmth and relaxing in comfort. Immaculate lawns roll away outside with theThames trickling past in the distance. It’s a serene setting and a big change fromjust a few minutes earlier as we stood outside, fighting off the chill andwatching the Red Roses in training. Opposite me one player who received her 50 th cap at the weekend and her colleague, for both club and country, in the frontrow. Vickii Cornborough and Shaunagh Brown take the sofa oppositeand before we begin I know, this is going to be a fun interview!

The Royal Shakespeare Company have today announced their winter season, including the next step of their campaign to cover all of the Bard’s work. Read on to find out more!

At just 22 years old Abby Dow is fast becoming one ofthe mainstays of Simon Middleton’s England teams. Throughout the autumn she lockeddown her place with a series of impressive displays and will once again wearthe rose as the team face off against France this Sunday. In that time she hasheld out established and even centrally contracted players.