WHAT IT’S LIKE TO… bALAncE A MILITARY cAREER WITH RugbY
RAF and England hooker Amy Cokayne discusses her dual ambitions
he Cokayne family have a rather unusual Christmas tradition. Before the big meal, dad Ian takes on his children Thomas and Amy in a bench-press competition. “It makes you feel like you’ve earned Christmas dinner,” England hooker Amy Cokayne says. “We’re an extremely competitive family – it comes from my dad.”
That competitive side is what saw Cokayne first pick up a rugby ball. She
Twanted to do any sport that Thomas did, so when he started playing rugby she followed, continuing her progress when the family moved to New Zealand with her father’s work. The combativeness has served her well for she made her England debut as a teenager – quite a feat when playing in the front row – and by the end of last year’s Six Nations had played in 40 consecutive Tests.
The 22-year-old has followed another family tradition by joining the military. Her grandfather was in the Army, her dad was in the Army then commissioned into the Royal Air Force (RAF), and her brother is also in the Army. Having previously been in the RAF Reserves, Cokayne graduated as a pilot officer in December after seven months of training at RAF Cranwell. Don’t be confused by the ‘pilot’ title; she doesn’t fly planes, it’s simply the first officer rank in the RAF.
The Cokaynes’ competitive streak comes out again when she talks about