The Next Generation
FEEPO spoke with Amy Turner, the driving force behind the next generation of female rugby players in England. Amy, a former England rugby player herself, leads the coaching staff of the U20 England Women. When we spoke to her, she provided great insight into age-grade rugby and how it’s grown to a whole new level in recent years.
Amy Turner, U20s Head Coach, Former England Rugby Player
Women’s rugby has seen a massive boost in participation and standard in recent years. Amy knows this first hand having seen the game change exponentially since she retired in 2017.
“The games are faster and have much more competitive collisions a lot more often in comparison to when I played. The game is unrecognisable in terms of the physicality and load players have to deal with on a weekly basis.”
This step up in game pace and athleticism is seriously exciting - players are faster, stronger, fitter, and have more game awareness. These aspects have been built into the women's game through quality coaching which focuses on tactical awareness as well as skill, coupled with elite level strength and conditioning provision to prepare young athletes for the demands of the women's game.
With growing participation, it’s no surprise that the standard of rugby is increasing too. This is great news for English rugby; since a higher level of rugby at U20 level will surely mean the Red Roses have a bigger pool of talented players to choose from. But what makes the difference between players who make it and who don’t?
“First and foremost we want to work with good individuals who are willing to learn.
Physical characteristics play a part; if we come across a 6ft 16 year old with talent we will do our utmost to work with coaches, parents and clubs to ensure that the individual is developed to give her the best possible chance to succeed through the pathway and beyond."
Amy explains that there is an element of talent identification and development involved in the process; but hard work and dedication plays a massive part too.
“We look to harness points of difference, meaning when you see players deviate from the ‘norm’ genetically. For example, if a player has natural speed and footwork or a natural ability with ball in hand then we try to harness that and develop each player’s natural gifts.“
“However, natural talent and genetic attributes can only get you on the first rung of the success ladder. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of work ethic, self-drive and humility - all things that require ‘no talent’.”
The ‘no talent’ mantra is prevalent in all levels of English rugby as well as amongst many Premiership clubs. Athletes are encouraged to bring to the training environment attributes that require ‘no talent’ such as: being on time, having the right training kit, working hard when no one is looking; pushing yourself to chase a line break, putting in 100% into every rep.
The psychology behind being a world-class athlete is a fascinating one and it can’t be overlooked. An emphasis on developing well-rounded people as well as players is fantastic to see, since every rugby players career is inevitably limited by time, and they will need to go on to be great people as well as great rugby players
Such ethos puts more ownership on the players; since talent only takes you so far, it is up to individuals to put in the extras. Be that spending time on game analysis, perfecting your goal kicking or other specialist skills, or dedicating yourself to S&C in order to have a physical edge over others in your age group.
The jump to senior level has, in the past, been an intimidating one but Amy believes strongly in preparing players mentally for their next steps.
“There isn’t a one stop shop with this and its ever evolving as the U20 squads look different year by year. I believe it is important to create an environment where players feel comfortable to speak with staff about any pressures or external factors that might affect how they feel going into camp. I also think it’s important to use the same terminology that senior coaches use where appropriate and also simulate similar formats of camp style to create familiarity and continuity in environments.
But number one for me is growing players’ self-awareness and autonomy to manage themselves whether it’s physically preparing themselves or mentally. I also think players that are comfortable to be self-sufficient and contribute amongst their peers are more confident therefore better able to problem solve on the pitch.
I also believe that the opportunity to play international U20 fixtures regularly will be a big factor in how successfully players transition into senior environments. Playing age-grade international fixtures gives a unique exposure to international pressure that is hard to replicate in a training environment.”
Amy once again emphasises the importance of accountability. She encourages players to get to know themselves as athletes from a young age. The understanding of what makes you perform at your best; to know what you need both physically and mentally in order to get yourself in the right space to perform.
Lastly, FEEPO asked Amy, what's more important - skill or athleticism?
”Both are equally important! If you have skill but aren’t robust or fit enough to repeat it then that will not get you very far. Similarly, if you are athletic but can’t do the skill under pressure and execute regularly then you will not get very far.
If you are naturally gifted in one or the other then I do believe you have an advantage but it will only get you so far if you haven’t got the work ethic to grow it - for me it’s largely about the individual and how they apply themselves.”