WOMEN’S GAME IN FOCUS
Rosie Galligan had the worst season of her career in the 2019/20 campaign after suffering with meningitis and then injuring her ankle.
The Harlequins second row, who played for Saracens at the time, says the road to recovery was all about celebrating small wins.
“I went from lying down for ten days not really being able to walk to taking a few first steps to getting myself to shower,” the 23-yearold says. “Then I gradually built from there. I remember doing a six minute bike ride and feeling like I had to sleep for a day and a half to recover. You fast forward three months and you look back and realise how many little milestones you’ve reached to play the sport you love.
“It makes you realise you can’t take sport for granted, you can’t take life for granted. The friends you make and the people you have to support you, it’s completely different to any other environment you could be in.”
Galligan, who works as a marketing manager, has embraced being back on the pitch with fans this season and it’s translated into results as Harlequins are currently second in the table.
Arguably their most impressive match this campaign so far has been their 36-17 win over rivals Saracens, which dealt the two-time champions their first home league defeat since 2018.
Galligan was a part of the squad and it was the first time she had played against her former club after signing for Quins ahead of the current season.
“It was a bit surreal really,” she adds. “I love going back to StoneX Stadium. I was at Saracens for five years so I built a good rapport with a lot of the fans. After finishing the game and coming off on a high, it was very weird for me to go over to the fans. Me saying hello to a lot of the faces I knew but with a different shirt on. Them with a not-so happy smile and me with a beaming smile!
“It was great to go back and I have a lot of respect for the club, they helped me develop from the age of 17. That game was the pinnacle of women’s rugby I’d say. I think it’s one of the best games of the season so far. A lot of fantastic players put their bodies on the line to get the result and we were fortunate enough that everything clicked together for us that day.”