Our GameMakers: Women's Rugby: Conversations with the players who built the game from the ground up
ByJo Caird
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Synopsis
This is the third book we have co-authored, and our imagery has been published in dozens of publications including Dan Carter’s and Richie McCaw’s autobiographies. But this is the first book we have produced on women’s rugby and by far our proudest book to date. JO CAIRD I often feel like a fortunate infiltrator, having never played the game of rugby myself. I grew up in a rugby-loving family and when I heard my usually quiet grandmother start screaming scary words at the TV during an All Black test one day, I realised that this sport must be worth watching! I soon fell in love with the game but was busy pursuing a professional tennis career. As a youngster I played on the ITF Junior World Circuit before taking up a tennis scholarship at a university in America. I discovered you could study sports photography, albeit gridiron, basketball and baseball. I wanted to photograph rugby and in particular the All Blacks. In 1995 I photographed my first of 175 All Black Test matches. Anna and Fiona Richards, who I met on a commissioned magazine photoshoot, convinced me to travel to Amsterdam and shoot the RWC1998. Anna was adamant they were going to win and they needed someone to photograph it! It was an eye-opening experience for me on many fronts. I had never seen women play rugby so well. I had never seen rugby played in this style with so much freedom and passion. I had also never seen camaraderie and friendships across teams and nations. And it was the first time I had seen women happy to be openly gay. I spent the next 20 years covering all sports including the Olympics and Commonwealth Games and became the All Blacks’ first ever official photographer. Throughout my career I faced so many challenges in a male-dominated rugby media world, such as being the first woman to cover a game at Ellis Park, South Africa. There was no female bathroom in the working media area and I was escorted to use the secretaries’ facilities. While covering cricket, I was verbally abused by the then New Zealand manager for entering the changing room – thankfully, the players who had asked me to follow them in, rescued me. In rugby league, I had a famous player drop his shorts during a trophy shot when he saw there was a female amongst the shooters. But in rugby union, I never had anything but respect from the players and team management. I spent many years trying to encourage greater media coverage of women’s rugby, increased sponsorship and more support from their unions. Watching how the game has evolved from the RWC1998 to the recent RWC2021 has been nothing short of phenomenal. Although every time someone exclaims how great women’s rugby is, I have to resist replying “We have been telling you this for years!” GEORGIE - PAULA GEORGE As a child growing up in a small Welsh village, I never fully appreciated the depth of love and pride my community had for rugby. The local rugby club was the beating heart of social life; it seemed as if every celebration or gathering was held there – from weddings to birthdays and even funerals. My grandmother, Nan George, was a longstanding member of the rugby club. For as long as I can remember, she worked behind the bar and watched over all of the kids as we ran around the clubrooms or the rugby fields. I remember how all the men of the village would disappear for whole weekends during the Five Nations when Wales were scheduled to play away from home. But the weekends I remember most vividly were the weekends Wales played at Cardiff Arms Park. The club would be packed with a sea of red scarves, hats and jerseys. The TV was always too loud, but even that was drowned out whenever Wales scored a try – especially if it was against England. I will always be grateful for the gift of growing up in a place where rugby was more than just a sport – it was a way of life. I was fortunate enough to attend six world championships in two different sports, representing two different countries. Netball was my first love, which took me to Australia to the U21 World Netball Championship. I went on to represent the full Welsh team as vice captain at the 1991 World Netball Cup as a 22-yearold. In the same year – 1991 – I completed my Human Movement Honours Degree and represented Wales in the RWC1991 in Cardiff. It was only after moving to London, finding my tribe at Wasps Ladies, and playing for the England Women’s rugby team that I realised I was nowhere near fulfilling my potential yet. Wearing the England jersey and later being appointed as Captain – an honour beyond my wildest dreams – I found purpose and drive. Rugby ABOUT THE AUTHORS AND ILLUSTRATOR 127 REFERENCES was a place where I belonged. I played in a total of four Rugby World Cups and somewhere in my basement I have a gold, a silver and a bronze medal, but in my head I carry a thousand golden memories. I finally retired from playing rugby 24 years after that first test for Wales. I fell madly in love and moved to that other rugby-mad country – New Zealand. Over time I retrained as a photographer and videographer and spent several years working as the behind-the-scenes content creator for the All Blacks. It was a privilege to travel and work closely with the players and the staff, creating, writing and publishing content for all the NZRU’s social platforms – Facebook, Instagram, AllBlacks.com and Twitter. Since then, Jo and I have built our bespoke company to tell stories through photography, video and the written word, co-authoring several books along the way. Surviving cancer five years ago has given me a new hunger for life. Combined with my experience as an athlete, I have grown to understand the desperate need for mental health strategies to be available to our athletes, in our schools, in everyone’s life. I also work as a mental health advocate for The Resilience Project, when I am not writing stories or crafting videos. HANNAH WILKINSON, illustrator Professional footballer by day, freelance artist by night. I played college football in the United States, and professionally in Sweden, Portugal, Germany and Australia. I also play for the New Zealand Women’s National Team (the Football Ferns). I have worn the Fern in three FIFA Women’s World Cups, and three Olympic Games. Born and raised in Whangārei, New Zealand, I began drawing and creating before kicking a ball. My art evolved from winning local poster competitions in high school, to designing anime-style pieces for Tokyo 2020 under the Olympian Artists Programme, to implementing murals, one of which adorns Auckland’s iconic Eden Park. Creations for Our GameMakers were inspired by action-packed comic-book visuals; a style of drawing I was passionate about growing up. Artistic pursuits offer me a healthy balance off the pitch, allowing space to mentally offload the pressures of being an elite athlete, while also enhancing the focus-flow state I need to perform both artistically and athletically.