GAME IN FOCUS
Sarah Rendell takes a weekly look at some important women players ELLE BLOOR
Elle Bloor returned to the pitch against Sale Sharks last month from a broken thumb injury she sustained back in November. She wanted to do everyone who had helped her through the injury proud.
Quins defeated Sharks 45-5 and Bloor scored her first try for the club since she signed for them back in 2019 – an impressive performance back in rugby.
“A lot of people’s energy go into getting a player back onto the field; teammates, strength and conditioning, rehab, your family that drive you to appointments,” the hooker said. “A lot of people put a lot of energy into it so it’s more of a feeling of wanting to go out there and perform well for the team. To say thank you for the hard work from everyone around you that supported you through it.
“Obviously any try that comes from a lineout play is given as a forwards try and rightly so, we did a lot of graft in the match, but it’s very exciting. My family and I have been Quins fans now for a long time, before playing at Premiership level.
“I probably would have never thought, if you told me five years ago I would be playing for Quins I probably would have laughed at you. It’s a bit surreal really, so really nice to score a try. Hopefully not the last, hopefully there’s a couple more to come.”
Quins are having a good season, they have only recorded three defeats and the good run finds them second in the table.
One loss came at the hands of Exeter Chiefs and the 25-year-old, who works at Quins as a Community, Event and Operations Co-ordinator, added the league newcomers have been impressive.
“I was watching the girls when we lost to Exeter away and we were absolutely gutted, no one likes losing. But you could see what it meant to the Exeter players and it’s just a credit to Susie Appleby (Chiefs head coach) and the programme she is creating.
“They are obviously focusing on getting things right, doing really well and they are starving Quins and Saracens of the ball. They aren’t always the flashiest games of rugby but tactically to beat the top teams you have to be on your game and they have been. I don’t think it’s a surprise as we knew the quality of players that they had brought in.”
And Bloor added the heightened competition this season is only good for women’s rugby.
“As an athlete, as a competitor, you want to win but you want it to be a battle week in week out. I think it’s brilliant. It’s good for the game as well. Pushing the league as a product that will be a money earner and is absolutely worth going and filling the stadiums on a Saturday.”