The Harsh Return to Reality of Women’s Rugby
After intense training and matches at the World Cup, Samoa’s captain, Sui Pauaraisa, video-called her three children in New Zealand, making sure they were ready for school. For Pauaraisa, the four weeks in England represent the longest period away from her family.The Samoan team will return home on Wednesday, and each player will go their separate ways, not knowing when they will meet again. Pauaraisa will return to Auckland before flying to Christchurch, where she awaits the reunion with her children after school. On Thursday, she will resume her work as a clinical administrator. The World Cup tournament has been a stage of contrasts, where inspiration mixes with uncertainty. The disparity between teams with resources and those without is evident. However, hope lies in this World Cup being a catalyst for change, reducing the existing gap. Some players have had to take unpaid leave, while others have resorted to loans and crowdfunding to get to England. They have left their loved ones behind with the aim of representing their country and inspiring future generations.“I can’t wait to see my children. I just want a hug; I just want to kiss them,” declared Pauaraisa.
Sui Pauaraisa
“That’s the sacrifice I’ve made, in the blue jersey. I want to be someone they can admire. I want them to grow up and be strong women, to be a kind of role model for them,” said Pauaraisa.
Sui Pauaraisa
The group stage has concluded, and for many players, the return to reality will be abrupt. Samoa coach Mataafa Ramsey Tomokino and captain Pauaraisa expressed their emotion after the match against England and the joy for the three points obtained. The support and welcome the team received when getting off the bus in Northampton moved Tomokino. Fa’asua Makisi, Samoa’s center, shared his challenges:“Increasing the profile of women’s rugby in countries around the world and working with them to raise their profile is the first step in being able to increase investment and commercial support, and unlock funding from governments, which is our focus in terms of financial sustainability over the next four years,” said Sally Horrox, director of women’s rugby at World Rugby.
Sally Horrox
“I had doubts about whether I could get here financially, because I have a mortgage to pay… We are not contracted players and I didn’t know how it would work. I have seven siblings and I am the oldest sister, so I have to take them to their sports and school activities, and I didn’t know if leaving would be manageable for my family. But as always, and as I anticipated, mom said: ‘No way you’re not going. We’ll take care of everything here’. She just took that off my shoulders so I had the courage to come without worries or stress. I am really grateful to mom”.
Fa’asua Makisi
Back to the Daily Routine
After the excitement of the World Cup, many players will return to their daily jobs. Sama Vergara, from Brazil, is a tattoo artist. Olivia DeMerchant, from Canada, is a firefighter. Manuqalo Komaitai belongs to the Irish Guards. Nomsai Mokwai, from South Africa, is an emergency room nurse. Drenna Falaniko, from Samoa, is a roofer. The question that arises is: what’s next? For those players with amateur origins, this tournament could be the highlight of their careers. Even for those who have played professionally, nothing compares to this World Cup.For those in the final stage of their careers, attention is focused on the post-rugby legacy.“I don’t think I’ll ever have such a joyful experience through rugby again,” said Kanako Kobayashi, from Japan.
Kanako Kobayashi
Delgado reported that he had to lie to his parents to pursue his dream in rugby. He obtained a scholarship as an honorary student at the University of Madrid for his master’s degree, but his true motivation was to play for SANSE. She was moved by the messages of support received from home, where the fans joined the Leonas. For Samoa, which has won the affection of many, the hope is that the new global calendar will allow them to grow. Mataafa Ramsey will take on a new role as high-performance general manager at the Samoa Rugby Union.“The goal we set ourselves is to leave a legacy by inspiring the youngest players and raising awareness of rugby in our country, where it is not very well known,” commented Laura Delgado, from Spain.
Laura Delgado
“We have to do things in our region. There are funds coming from Pacific Coast Sport, for example, so that we can create a Pacific competition. We need to reflect something like what the Six Nations has. So it’s us, Fiji, Samoa, Australia, New Zealand, who we have in our corner. We need to start doing that, and then maybe it will extend to an Asian country as well. I think if we can do that and get into professional spaces, then it will be much better”, said Mataafa Ramsey.
Mataafa Ramsey
Uncertainty also surrounds the players who are still in the tournament. Some of the Scottish players are not sure if they will have a contract after the World Cup. However, reaching the quarter-finals can generate a positive change in their countries. South Africa, with its historic victory over Italy (29-24), secured its place in the quarter-finals. This team was excluded from the 2017 World Cup by its own union due to poor results, while the men’s team has won the 2019 and 2023 World Cups.“We want to be the first country to pave the way for women’s rugby in South America. Now what we need are more matches, more tournaments, more support. We play two or three matches a year; I want to play nine, ten, twelve matches a year. I hope we are in the next Rugby World Cup,” added Caffera.
Emiliano Caffera
Despite the elimination of the United States, Ilona Maher will remain to witness the rest of the competition.“I feel it’s a pivotal moment. We’ve been building for the last three or four years, many sacrifices have been made and many tears have been shed for South African women’s rugby. It’s almost a moment that’s like a beacon, so to speak, where it shines such a bright light that it shines across the entire horizon. It’s a completely new path that has been created,” commented Babalwa Latsha.
Babalwa Latsha
As the tournament progresses and we approach the final on September 27, for the players of eight teams, the reality of daily life will return.“I hope all the girls reach new heights. I hope we’re in the quarter-finals, but we’ll see. I’ll watch all the matches and stay to watch them. It’s too cool not to go to the World Cup knockout stage. It’s sold out at the Allianz [for the final] and I want to be a part of that,” Maher said.
Ilona Maher
“We have been moved by mothers, office workers, teachers, tattoo artists, and firefighters in the last three weeks. But they are all World Cup players,” Latsha added. “New records have been set in the competition and for us. New paths have been established and also a validation of the dreams of many of us in our group, for some even a reactivation of dreams that may have been dormant.”“If you always have the dream of playing rugby, you must first do the small things to get into the big ones,” said Kolora Lomani from Fiji.
Kolora Lomani
