England ambassador role for Loughborough Ladies star
LOUGHBOROUGH Ladies rugby player Maria Crowfoot jetted off to New Zealand last week after being selected as an English ambassador for a special British and Irish Lions scheme.
The scheme sees eight 18 to 21-yearolds from the four home unions travel to New Zealand as a team, where they will visit grassroots clubs and meet players from local teams, attend Lions matches, and document their experience to share with their peers back home.
Loughborough’s Maria Crowfoot was selected as one of three England ambassadors along with Kate Marks and Meg Cliff after a selection process which included formal interviews with senior RFU executives.
RFU volunteer engagement manager Jenny Box said the women demonstrat- ed all the attributes of a rugby ambassador.
“Maria, Kate and Meg’s personal contribution to grassroots rugby is astounding, especially when you take into account their ages, but not only this, all three showed great leadership skills as well as an ability to work as part of a team.”
The ambassadors travelled to New Zealand on Monday (June 12) and will return on June 26.
Maria said she was looking forward to visiting the grassroots clubs.
“You get a sense that the All Blacks have such a deep connection to their grassroots clubs and don’t forget where it all started; and there’s amazing pride when it comes to a player from a local club representing them at a national level. I can’t wait.”