A plumber, teacher and vet… It reads like the start of a joke but actually it is a list of the day jobs juggled alongside sporting glory by the World Cup-winning England women’s rugby team.
The women’s team triumphed 21-9 in Paris on Sunday against Canada, bringing the women’s World Cup to England after three successive defeats in previous finals.
It’s not a bad effort considering many of the women had to take three months of unpaid leave to compete in the tournament, and will have to get back to their day jobs within the next couple of weeks.
Unlike the men’s team, the players are not professional, and so they make ends meet with more down-to-earth jobs including working as teachers, coaches, plumbers and policewomen.
Their coach Gary Street, who described the win as “a bit like a dream”, quit his own job as a surveyor seven years ago to drive up and down the country recruiting, encouraging and training the women.
Here’s a look at some of the squad’s alter egos.
Katy McLean – the captain of the squad is also a primary school teacher in Sunderland, teaching 4 and 5 year olds.
Emily Scarratt – scored 16 points for England as the centre in the final on Sunday, but will also go back to teaching in September, as a PE assistant at King Edward’s School in Birmingham.
Marlie Packer – a flanker, is also a plumber. In a pleasing bit of understatement, this is how she described balancing a job with the demands of being an international sporting hero: “With our jobs it is a bit tricky.”
Sophie Hemming – a prop, is also a vet at Avenue Veterinary Centre in Bristol.
Maggie Alphonsi – one of the biggest stars of women’s rugby is an MBE known by many as “Maggie the Machine”. The flanker is also a mentor for the youth sport trust and a rugby World Cup ambassador.
The full squad also includes students, teachers, youth workers, a physiotherapist, a policewoman, a lifeguard, and an occupational therapist.