Rachel Woosey, a student on the Achieving Academic and Sporting Excellence (AASE) programme at Bishop Burton College has been called to represent her country in the sport she loves – rugby union.
Rachel, originally from St Helens, will be debuting with the England squad when they take part in the FIRA U18 Women’s 7s tournament, being held in Enkoping, Sweden. Kicking off on 13th September, the tournament will see the squad play against teams from across Europe.
On making the team, Rachel, 17, commented: “I’ve been playing rugby since I was six and have always dreamt of representing England one day. I never expected it to happen so soon.
She added, “I’m really pleased that I’ve been chosen and I’m very excited about my debut, but I’m also really anxious. To represent your country is a huge deal, and I don’t want to let my team mates, our fans or my family down.”
Coming from a rugby background, Rachel acknowledges that it was her dad and brother that got her into the sport: “I’d always been a sporty girl, but it wasn’t until I got into Rugby when I found my passion and the thirst to perform at the highest level.
“I’m lucky to have had my father as one of my coaches over the years and I think that’s really helped me – we have a connection no other player on the field has. I know intuitively what he wants and expects from me.”
For the past year, Rachel has been training at Bishop Burton College, as part of the AASE programme, headed up by Richard Wareham.
Richard Wareham, AASE Manager (Yorkshire and the North East) at Bishop Burton College, said: “Rachel is a fantastic player and a great example of what the AASE programme can achieve. I have no doubt that this is the start of a very promising career for her. She’s a real team player and will do herself and her country proud.”
Wareham added: “As part of the AASE programme the College has helped to develop lifestyle, management and communication skills to ensure the team has the best education available on and off the pitch. As part of the training, we created a really tough training environment for Rachel and the team to learn from – it really has been a team effort.”
The AASE programme, which is approved by the RFU, is now in its second year at Bishop Burton. The programme aims to help players with the physical, technical, tactical and mental skills to go on and play rugby at the highest level.
For more information on the sports options available at Bishop Burton, visit www.bishopburton.ac.uk.
