Five fantastic rugby players are striking a blow for 40-something sportswomen everywhere.
Mandy Duncan, 47, Kat Huggins, 48, Rebecca Snook, 46, Leanne Taylor, 43, and Rachael Brawn-Turnbull, 41, are part of the PFC Trust Hartlepool & District Barbarians squad in Thailand for the Bangkok International 10s Rugby Championship this weekend.
Each are still going strong with no thoughts of hanging up the boots.
"It's great to be here as part of this squad for what is an exciting challenge," said mum-of-three Kat, the elder stateswoman of the group, who plays at the sharp end in the front row.
"I started when I was 19, just for fitness," said Kat, who served in the Army for three decades and is now a teacher.
"I still love playing now at 48 and have no plans to retire."
Leanne took up rugby at Blackwell Meadows having been a “sidelines parent freezing my bum off watching my two boys train and play."
She now works for Amazon following a 24-year career in the Royal Air Force.
Mandy found the sport after taking her eldest child to rugby to "channel her energy" only to end up playing herself.
"I never thought in a million years I’d enjoy it like I do as I hated any form of sport at school and was in the school orchestra playing the violin," she smiled.
She has gone from not understanding rugby to be captivated by it.
"I work for Little Lingfields nursery in Darlington in the two-year-old room where I'm recruiting the future of rugby," she laughed.
"I have currently found a little boy who can do an amazing drop kick."
Rachael came to rugby 10 years ago, loving every minute, and is now a fully qualified coach.
"I was looking for something positive and challenging, and stayed because of the confidence, resilience, and sense of belonging it gave me," said the centre, who works for the Co-op.
"The game has shaped who I am both on and off the pitch."
Powerful forward Snook has been immersed in rugby since taking up the game in 2003, before some of her team-mates in the PFC Trust Hartlepool & District Barbarians squad were even born.
"I wanted to challenge myself with something new," said Becca, who works as a culture and inclusion manager for Engineering Recruitment Services and is head of women’s rugby at Darlington in her spare time.
"My goal is to continue building with the club and the team.
"We’re in the process of setting up a development team to support players who are new to rugby, alongside a growing group of under-18s coming through.”
The Darlington quintet have brought their considerable energy and expertise to the PFC Trust Hartlepool & District Barbarians.
They are making history as the first female Hartlepool-based side to compete in a major tournament.
The squad will compete in Group A on Saturday, when they will have all-Thailand opposition in Viet Chiang, Bangkok University and Bangkok Belles before playing in the knock-out stages on Sunday.
Share