Katy McLean kicking women's rugby on to new heights

Aug 20 2010 by Nick Purewal, The Journal

A World Cup triumph on home soil might have been overlooked a decade ago where England’s women are concerned. Darlington Mowden Park’s Katy McLean told Nick Purewal times are changing, and fast

PLAYMAKER Katy McLean will have no chance of sneaking unnoticed into Sunderland’s Bexhill Primary School if England’s Women’s XV lift the World Cup on home turf.

The 24-year-old vice-captain leads her country’s backline against Ireland in the Women’s World Cup opener at Surrey Sports Park tonight (kick-off 6.30pm), as England bid for their first world title at the seventh opportunity.

Darlington Mowden Park Sharks outside-half McLean had not even won her first cap when England slipped up 25-17 to New Zealand in Canada in the 2006 final, but has risen steadily to prominence since.

Prominence, in a women’s rugby sense.

All that though, will change forever, should head coach Gary Street’s ladies stop New Zealand stealing their fourth straight crown.

England beat New Zealand 7-3 at Twickenham in November, and can boast four Grand Slams in five years where the Six Nations is concerned. All of that will pale into insignificance if captain Caroline Spencer and her troops lift the top prize in Guildford on September 5.

Forget prominence on a small scale – women’s rugby is on the rise, and South Shields’ McLean is amazed by the sport’s rapid development.

McLean counts Jonny Wilkinson and Dan Carter as her rugby inspiration, but the trainee primary school teacher would not be surprised to see the next generation idolising Women’s stars like Maggie Alphonsi and Spencer.

“The media interest has soared out of control this year,” enthused the former Sunderland Foundation football charity worker. “I’ve done three times the amount of interviews than in the past, and that’s fantastic for the sport.