SW: I imagine it must be really fun. Do you ever hang out outside of practice?

LT: Yeah, absolutely. You’d think we’d be tired of each other since we spend so much time together but yeah, we do meet up and support each other. I’ve known a lot of these players for 10 plus years and we supported each other through life events outside of rugby and it’s amazing that I share a sport with these women.

You share moments and memories and when the sport is done I’m hoping they’ll still always be in my life. Yeah, I feel very lucky to have found a community, a group of people through sport.

SW: One thing we’re constantly hearing from girls is that they’re afraid to lift weights because they’re afraid they’re going to become bulky. Have you ever had a moment where you struggled with your own body image or felt pressured to look a certain way?

LT: Yeah. When I was growing up, as a teenager, I felt really really self-conscious of my body image. I was a swimmer so I was quite broad-shouldered but I was really skinny. It was a weird obsession with being skinny but then when I went on the rugby pitch, I was so weak. I remember trying to tackle someone and just falling off the tackle and feeling really pathetic.

I spoke to my dad about it and he was like, you’ve got to eat, you’ve got to feed yourself. It was such a good turning point for me because I realised that to be strong, to do rugby, to do something I loved, I needed to give my body food and needed to embrace having these muscles and I think it’s been fantastic.

I love the fact that I’ve got a capable body, I’ve got a body that can do things for me and I really want to look after it now. I think going through that period and almost harming my body has made me really appreciate food, nutrition, lifting weights, looking after my body. I think it’s amazing when you see these strong, powerful women of all sorts of shapes and sizes. Your body is such an amazing tool, so respect that.

SW: I find that as you get older with every year you just become more focused on the future. Thinking about being healthy and fit for a very long time. You want to make yourself strong so that you can be there for your kids or do your job well.

LT: I agree totally. I think that’s a great way of saying it, I feel like I want a body for me not for anyone else right? It’s my body and it gives me options and I don’t need someone else to say it looks good because I’m really proud of it. I love the fact that I can be a good role model. If I do have children I want to be able to do things with them and join in with activities and be fit and be an inspiration. So yeah, I think it’s an awesome way of saying it the way you said did.

Lydia Thompson: “You don't need to define a sport by a gender”