Once the UK’s no 1 junior hurdler, hooker Vicky Fleetwood, 27, switched to rugby at 14 and made her Red Roses debut aged 21

What drew you to rugby as a teenager?

I wanted to move to a team sport, and it was a good way of venting my aggression, especially at that age – you’re still trying to find your feet and what it is you might succeed in. Also I’ve got a twin brother and he’d played from 11 years old – I wanted to do the same things as him. My college [Hinckley’s JCC and Mount Grace in Leicester] is well-known for being a rugby school, and [England player] Manu Tuilagi went there. But there was a huge influx of girls wanting to do it, too – I remember at our first training session there were 50 girls.

What particular skills do you need for your position?

You’ve got to be quite powerful because you’re in the scrum – in the front row, head on head with other people. And personally, I like to play a fast game. Plus, you’ve also got to throw the ball [back into play in the line out], so that’s an important skill.

You’ve got a black eye from training – has that side of the game ever bothered you?

I’ve never really given it a second thought. It’s the same with any sport – you see people pulling hamstrings and rolling ankles in athletics. My boyfriend thinks, ‘What if people think I’ve punched you?’ But it’s not really an issue. People walking down the street might look at you a bit strange, but everyone I socialise with knows that I play rugby, so it’s just one of those things.

There used to be a lot of lazy stereotyping that you couldn’t be feminine and be a rugby player and that it’s too ‘dangerous’ for women. Are we past that now?

I think it’s something more women want to do because there’s more emphasis on being strong and fit. You can tackle someone and wear mascara. And it’s empowering to say you can do that. Even when I’m training I’ll put make-up on because it makes me feel better.

So you’re noticing more focus on stronger, healthier female bodies in the media?

There’s been a big shift. When I was younger, you’d always see skinny girls in magazines. There was nothing about toned, muscular, strong women. As someone who played sport, my physique was different and I definitely struggled with that. Now, I feel a lot more body confident, and a lot of the girls say the same. We’re about being healthy, strong and fit and it’s probably one of the sports where you see a vast body range. Whatever your strengths, you can fit into the mix.

Do you feel like there is an emphasis on being a good role model?

We want to portray a good sense of what we do and encourage younger girls to pick up the sport and grow the game. A lot of girls watch our games so we stay around at the end to chat and sign autographs in the hope that one day they could be doing what we do.

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