Army and Navy ready to join the live scrum
Men’s and women’s rugby clashes at Twickenham back on after pandemic
AFTER two years of cancellation heartache, the hugelyanticipated Army v Navy rugby clash will be making its triumphant return this weekend – with thousands of people expected to witness the spectacle.
And this year’s action at Twickenham, the home of English rugby, will see history being made as the army and navy’s women’s teams go head to head in a double-whammy of sporting action.
Excitement is already building ahead of tomorrow’s match-up of military titans, with 80,000 spectators
set to watch the final fixture of the inter-service campaign at Twickenham.
It follows two years of cancellations due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Royal Navy women – captained by Leading Hand Rose Dixon and coached by Lieutenant Commander Charlotte Fredrickson – were originally due to make their Twickenham debut in 2020 but the pandemic resulted in delaying the milestone for two years.
Assistant director of rugby for the navy’s senior women’s XV, Lieutenant Commander Paula Smith, said: ‘This is a momentous year for Royal Navy women’s rugby.
‘A lot of hard work both on and off the field by both former and current players and the team support group, has allowed this highlydeserved and talented squad the great honour of representing both themselves and those before them at this remarkable fixture.
‘Having seen this current squad grow from strength to strength over the last few seasons, despite everything the Covid pandemic has thrown at them, I know that they will deliver a highlycredible performance which will be fantastic for the crowd to watch, as they did against both the French Navy and the RAF.’
The women’s fixture, which was introduced in 2003, will be the 18th Army v Navy Senior XV game for the women with the winner taking the Babcock Trophy.
Army head coach Major Gemma Stonebridge-Smith said: ‘We’ve had a long time to prepare for what is going to be an historic occasion.
‘It’s going to be a fantastic day of rugby – not just the men’s fixture but the women’s as well.’ Both men’s navy and army teams defeated the RAF in the second round of the Inter-Services competition, meaning the winner of the Twickenham match will be crowned services champions and claim the Babcock Trophy. The men will kick off at 2pm, and the women from 4.30pm. The match will be screened by BFBS, over TV, radio and the Forces News YouTube channel.