Cling film, fake tan and Block 16 – welcome to Red Roses’ Hogwarts

France vs. England in the women’s rugby world cup semi-final

Date: Saturday, September 20th Kick-off: 15:30 BST

A corner of this England team is forever Block 16 for Megan Jones.

“We had different housing choices, but we always gathered there on weekends, before, after, and between training sessions. The England center tells BBC Sport that this is where the special moments actually began.

“The same jokes that we tell today come from that place.”

You forget those occasions forever.

More than ten years ago, those times were. Jones was a teenager when he passed away.

However, many of the same players are still present when she travels from Block 16 to the final four of the Rugby World Cup.

The student housing at Hartpury College and University consists of Block 16.

And its women’s rugby academy is a talent center, welcoming 16-year-olds from all over the nation and playing Red Roses with stupendous frequency.

a very intense version of Harry Potter’s school, Hogwarts.

Jones’ contemporanes included Sarah Bern, Holly Aitchison, Zoe Aldcroft, Tatyana Heard, and Zoe Harrison.

The program included the participation of Ellie Kildunne, Hannah Botterman, Alex Matthews, Amy Cokayne, Abi Burton, Jade Shekells, Emma Sing, and May Campbell.

Many different players have walked into the Red Roses camp and explained their plans to the team, according to Aldcroft, England’s captain.

She says, “There are so many girls in the room who say, “I’m from Hartpury.”

“Those two years have added a lot to them.” You’re 16 years old, along with your classmates, and you’re also studying for a professional rugby team.

Danielle Waterman, England’s full-back, was appointed the year the program was launched in 2009 and will continue to lead it.

Waterman recalls losing to New Zealand in the 2010 Rugby World Cup final at the Stoop.

“I went over to my family’s seat to give my parents a hug, and I was completely devastated.”

“And Siobhan Longdon-Hughes, a young girl, was one of the first fans to make their way to the front of the line to see the players.”

She yelled “Nolli, Nolli!” You’re going to be my coach, I’ll see you next week, she said as I looked over.

When you recently reached the World Cup final, it’s being reminded of your new job if there’s anything that can be said about how you came back to life as a women’s rugby player back then.

Making sure the roughly 10 students from 50 to 60 trialists were the right people and the best players was one of Waterman’s most crucial tasks each year.

Waterman recalls that “there was always a lot of things that I would look at when making those calls.”

I would take the time to speak with the parents and inquire about their interactions with the girls.

If I didn’t believe the program was quite right for them or they weren’t quite ready for it, I would turn down very talented players.

Bern, who is now a vicious prop for England, was initially unable to appear in court due to a family holiday.

Because of her coaching Sarah at the regional level in the South East, I recall speaking to her father and telling him that I could talk to her father.

No, for me, I must meet each player because this is a unique program, I said. I therefore believed it was important even with a person of that caliber.

Once term began, Waterman was just as demanding.

Along with her academic work, her course would also cover nutrition, the gym, video analysis, media management, and psychology.

Tatyana Heard, England’s centre, says, “It is so beneficial to our journeys, but when you don’t realize it, you are just having a kickabout with your mates.”

It’s incredible to have that connection before you even enter the pitch, and then add the drive, determination, and value that are innate in us.

Diane Waterman taught us a lot about working hard, being a professional, and how, as she once said, “when you are tired, you are not tired.”

The training would begin early in the morning.

The gate would close and she would omit any latecomers from the session if any of Waterman’s young players didn’t reach the touchline by 6:30 am.

She said, “I lived in Gloucester, so I would travel to Hartpury and remove all the equipment before each session.”

You only need to walk 200 meters to get here, I told the girls, if I can be here and be there on time.

“I was pretty strict with them, but I think it’s because if you showed up late to an England session, you won’t be training or chosen.

I prefer that they spend time with me in that secure setting.

They needed a coach, a mentor, various facets of being a psychologist, and in some ways a little bit of a mother because they were that far away from home at the time.

I was frequently called “Mummy Nolli”! Not many people could leave a meeting with me without weeping a little bit, which was a bit of a joke.

“I think I was a person they could talk to and talk to about anything,” I believe.

It was serious. However, it was unavoidably silly as well.

One player recalls having their belongings cling film-covered, according to Waterman. One teammate replaced fake tan with fake tan, and another had their legs turn orange.

According to Jones, “it was the best time of my life.” It set us up for the moment because it was so crucial.

After three years in the role, Waterman, who had to work both as a player and as a teacher, resigned reluctantly.

In England’s 21-9 victory over Canada in the World Cup final, she scored the opening try nine months later.

She hopes to become the first England team to win the title since then in nine days with her former team.

They “deserve everything that comes their way because they are brilliant women,” Waterman said, adding that they are more so because they are brilliant women.

They are exactly what I want my son, as well as the rest of the country, to emulate. They are “mega”.

However, whether or not Waterman’s former pupils will pose with the trophy on September 27 will determine how much to her.

They are now in their adulthood or marriage, according to her, and years later there is a photo of them with their Hartpury friends.

They all have such special lifelong friendships, they say. That is one of the most important and important lessons I’ve learned from coaching them, not just their friendship, but also the friendships and fun they still have.