Sunday afternoon was upon us once more, and although the air was dry, the waterlogged pitches at TJ’s ground stopped play at the club. However, it did not dampen the spirits of the TJ’s Ladies team, and off to Vizards we went.
The team is now down a few key players due to injuries; however, true to the spirit of the ladies’ game, a few players (and familiar faces) joined us on the pitch so we could field a good side. It would also seem our opponents, Old Gravesendians, had done the same, so we were again on an even field. Old Gravesendians have had a mixed season, winning half their matches and losing the other half, so they had a fair amount to battle for in this game.

Kick-off was at 2pm, and once all pre-match checks were done by the referee, it was down to the final words of the poshest captain in ladies’ rugby to remind us all: “Although we are here to have fun and play rugby, we do like to win, so let’s get out there and do just that.” And without a spoiler alert — that’s exactly what we did.

The opening minutes were clear: the opposition had gaps, so TJ’s exploited them, and it quickly became obvious that this would be the theme of the day. The first try was absolutely stormed over the line 13 minutes into the game by the returning Charlie — smiles all round as she is clearly a TJ’s legend. Marsh was still asleep from her night shift, so had a little trip on the way to the conversion and missed, and we all trotted back ready for play to continue.

The next round of play saw Taz, the absolute Tasmanian devil, find a gap and storm through to the try line to put more points on the board. This was, of course, before she attempted the pirouette Tasmanian devil move, which resulted in a twisted ankle and a bit of physio treatment!
Now nearly 20 minutes into the game and still exploiting the gaps, Lily took her opportunity to go wide. As she reached the line, an opposition player — clearly unimpressed by the number of early tries — committed a high tackle causing Lily to drop the ball rather than placing it. TJ’s were awarded a penalty try, and the opposition player received a yellow card.
Let’s not forget that while these tries all have names on them, the whole team worked hard to get them over the line by exploiting every gap in the opposition’s defence — and now it was time to exploit the player ratios too.

Mary was next to score. She didn’t get much space for her usual maze-like runs, but right in front of the posts there was a gap. She changed direction on a sixpence and stormed through it without hesitation for try number four. Marsh converted, bringing the score to 24–0 at 25 minutes.
After the next kick, it was clear TJ’s could see the weakness out wide again. The ball was taken to the wing, and the now-recovered Lily carried it over the line and placed it down this time. It was a wide kick, and although Marsh gave it her best, the conversion wasn’t successful. Still, only half an hour in and 29–0 up is a great place to be.
At this point, it seemed the OGs were getting a little fed up with the scoreboard but it didn’t change TJ’s gameplay.

After a few restarts, the OGs tried to use the boot to gain territory, but one huge kick landed safely in the hands of Nic S on the wing, who used her pace to gain ground for TJ’s. Back to familiar TJ’s ball play, and Jess spotted a gap wide left, using the speed in her legs to take the score to 34–0. The kick was nearly impossible, but Marsh still gave it a go.
Now, everyone knows the dangers of rugby, but the opposition coach giving his team talk behind the posts had clearly forgotten as the conversion effort bounced off his head. Not sure this helped the team talk, but in the following kick-off and phase of play, the OGs came back fighting. Using their forwards effectively, they powered over for a try and converted it, taking the half-time score to 34–7.

The second half began with some confusion: Kimbo was facing the wrong way on the wrong side of the pitch, and Taz had attempted ballet once again and picked up a minor injury. After some checks, everyone was facing the right direction when the whistle blew.
The OGs showed real determination, kicking off as if it were the start of the match. However, TJ’s soon found the weaknesses again, and Jess scored out wide once more. With Marsh’s ever-faithful boot, the score moved to 41–7. At this point, the referee began using the phrase “slow it down” more times than expected. Whether it was aimed at us or himself is unclear, but he was adamant about staying behind the rucks and avoiding offside. TJ’s listened (even if we didn’t like it) and played the game he wanted — albeit at a slower pace.
Soon after, the OGs broke through and scored a try. Perhaps our brains were processing a little slowly, but they made it count — though the conversion was missed.

Next, Hollie exploited gaps around the rucks, took a step, and passed it on, ending with Fi steaming over the try line. Directly under the posts, Marsh made no mistake with the conversion. The score now stood at 48–12.
From the next kick-off, TJ’s delivered a true team try: Charlie and Mary worked some middle-pitch magic, and Fi crossed again. With Marsh converting, the score rose to 55–12.
We must be near the end, I hear you cry — but alas, one world-class moment was still to come, a performance that erupted the sidelines and will go down in TJ’s history. In the closing minutes, Marsh was deep in TJ’s territory, well behind the halfway line. I’m not sure the OGs saw the danger coming — and I’m not sure we did either. Marsh took the ball, started running, and then the speed built so fast I’m convinced she could have won the Olympic 100m final. She raced the length of the pitch and placed the ball between the posts.
What a try for the number 8. She turned and told Clair to take the conversion, as she wasn’t sure her legs would cooperate again. Sadly, with the wrong tee brought on, it didn’t go over.

In the final play, still perhaps in shock from the previous try, TJ’s conceded one last score to the OGs. It was a moment that showed they never gave up, and credit to them — they fought right to the end. The final whistle blew with the score at 60–19.

Reflecting on this match, whether it’s about fitness or fun, the main point is friendship. Women’s rugby sees many sides come together to keep teams — and friendships — going, and for that we are forever grateful. If you want to see what all the fuss is about, even if you’ve never touched a rugby ball, please, please contact us. If you get on that pitch, I promise you’ll never look back.