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WITH THREE decades’ service to Portsmouth RFC behind him, Mark Witcher has been involved with a host of teams. But the spirit and unity of the club’s women’s side, the Valkyries, has proved an eye-opener for him.
“I’ve never experienced it before. It’s their sense of ‘team’ and I don’t just mean the 15 or 22 we put out each week; we’ve a squad of 40-plus women and they’re a family,” says Witcher, who became head coach last June. “They’re a fantastic bunch who look out for each other and buy into everything the coaches put in front of them.”
The team features full-time mums, teachers, firefighters and personnel from all three military services. “It’s the emergency-service girls that I’m most impressed with as they’re putting in 14-hour shifts but still finding time to come training,” adds Witcher.
Leading lights include skipper and hooker Alice Kightley, who’s a Royal Navy nurse, scrum-half and paramedic Charlie Morgan, and No 8 Sophy Roseaman, an outstanding ball-carrier.
New signing Nikki Buckingham, who juggles back-three duties with life as a mum of four boys on the Isle of Wight, has slotted in seamlessly since joining from higher-tier Trojans, while loosehead Pauline ‘Fred’ French has been there since the team sprung up in 1998. “She is a massive help because she knows the history and is helping the younger players come through.”
Such linchpins spearhead a side that by mid-January stood proud and unbeaten atop National Championship South-East (West) One, compensation for losing last season’s title by just a point to London Welsh.
Last year did produce a day to treasure, however, as Valkyries defeated Sutton Coldfield in the National Junior Cup at Henley – the first time any Portsmouth RFC side has won a national competition. The club was founded in 1886.
“It was a fantastic day out,” Witcher,
44, says. “It’s great to see where we are now but if we were losing most weeks instead of winning, this team would still enjoy it because that’s who they are.”
Portsmouth Valkyries Ladies are our December Team of the Month, an award open to any amateur side in the world. If your team deserves to be our next winner, email alan.pearey@ti-media.com to tell us why. Please include your results in January and high-res photos. Email stories and pics to Clubs Editor Michael Austin at aus231@aol.com or call 01400 282189. Team of the Month entries to alan.pearey@ti-media.com