It’s great to be in Bristol after a fun few days in Brighton. We got some nice weather on our day off on the Sunday so I went to see some sights and obviously had to have an ice-cream near the beach – which is a little rockier than we’re used to but it’s still nice to be close to the water. We’ve been able to see a lot of the country during our travels for games, and York was really beautiful as well. All the old buildings over here makes it pretty different from back home and it’s amazing to see.
On our days off we have Tabua Tuinakauvadra and Layne Morgan arranging a few social nights and activities, but any time there’s been an afternoon or morning off we’ve been getting out and about in small groups as well. My parents are over here so it’s been nice to spend time with them and mix it up with some time with the team. This is my first experience of a big international camp, so just being here has been an amazing experience and something I’ll certainly never forget.
For when we’re not able to get out for a coffee out and about, we’re lucky enough to have a coffee machine in camp. Georgina Friedrichs has been the expert, making coffees left, right and centre and supplying the goods for everyone. I’ve got to give it to her, she does some pretty good latte art as well! There’s usually a decent queue of people waiting on her expertise. I’m not sure what her record is but the other day there were seven cups lined up. She should definitely be trying to make some money out of it.
She’s one of many players we are fortunate to have in camp. My team-mates are all incredible at passing on their skills and knowledge, something Lori Cramer in particular has always been amazing at doing. I’ve played with her at the Queensland Reds, and her being a really experienced player who has played in multiple different teams I think she just asks the right questions of you and points you in the right direction. She’s got a lot of experience and is funny as hell, so she’s a good player to have around. In really high-stress moments she is a calm head. As silly as she is, she’s really switched on as well and just knows what to say and do in those moments.
On the field, the game against England on Saturday didn’t go our way but it has still given us a lot of positives. The first half in particular was really promising, and if we’re able to take more of that into this weekend’s game then it could be anyone’s day. Canada will be a tough team to beat; they have plenty of speedsters but we’ve been working on our defensive structures and I’m backing our girls to keep them quiet. We’ve got things to work on and fixes to make, but we’re going to bring a lot of energy, play to our strengths and see what unfolds at Ashton Gate.
The atmosphere around the cities and the stadiums has been amazing. It’s so cool hearing our family and friends and everyone who has come all the way over from Australia to support us. When they get around those calls it makes the girls on the field really excited knowing they’ve got something and someone to play for.
But it’s not just our fans that have made this tournament great. It’s been so good at all the stadiums how the crowds have embraced all the players and have supported the games. Everyone is excited about women’s rugby in general, so there’s been support for every player by everyone in the stadiums. Each team has their supporters but at the end of the day everyone is excited that women’s rugby is stepping into a new stage.
It really feels like this is just the start of something. The more that people can see the game, the more that we get around, the more it’s going to grow. The more international games that we can play, the better that we’re going to get, but also at the end of the day this is a sport we love to play, so if we get to play it more often then that would be amazing.
Starting this Saturday. Hopefully we can get a big crowd in Bristol with plenty of support for both teams in what is a big quarter-final against the Canadians – see you there!
Caitlin