The announcement this week of the fifth head coach for RN(W), Bali Salisbury, opens a new chapter of Women’s rugby in the Royal Navy. He will take the side in to its second decade of Women’s Inter Service rugby where hopefully the steady success of the last few years will continue.
To mark the tenth anniversary there is a special Women’s XV selected by Paula Bennett-Smith and is now on the Invitational Select page.
Some of the high lights over the ten years have been:
First Inter Service Win
2005 at Newbury saw the RN(W) secure there first Inter Service victory with a tense and hard fought victory over the RAF(W) 10-5. Since that first victory honours have been even between the two sides with the Navy recording victories again in 2006, 2010 and 2012.
First Cap Awarded
Following the 2011 Royal Navy Rugby Union Annual General Meeting it was decided to award caps to the RN(W). There was a qualification stipulated of 6 matches and the count back went only as far as 2008. At the 2012 Command Tournament Finals, for the Inverdale Trophy, television and radio presenter John Inverdale award the first Navy Women’s cap to former captain Vic Percival. By the end of the 2012 Inter Service season the RN(W) had 13 capped players with Pam Williams leading the way on 3 and Lavinia Vakuruivalu been the thirteen recipient.
First Coaches
Three Navy Women players qualified as coaches. Wendy Briggs, carried off with a playing career ending injury in that first win of 2005, went on to forge a successful career in sport rehabilitation and is part of the Mariners support staff. In 2012 she won the coveted Soapy Watson trophy. Paula Bennett-Smith started to coach the RN(W) side before replacing Nicky Dent as a blood replacement and returning to playing. Lou Clarke coached HMS Manchester successfully on her last two deployments.
First Internationals
Two players have represented both the RN(W) and their country. Flanker Charlie Lewis was selected by Scotland in 2011 and centre Juliana Straker represented and captained Trinidad and Tobago.
What will the next ten years bring?
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