Leading the Lineout

The success of England’s Red Roses in this year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup will inspire a new generation of girls to develop a love for the sport. LWC’s Eloise Shrimpton is keen to cultivate that passion here in the 1200.

 

But had the Head of 3^rd Form and Teacher of PE decided not to go for an early morning jacuzzi at Pennyhill Park one day, things may have turned out very differently.

 

Having begun playing rugby because she was “a very aggressive netball player and always getting called out for contact,” Eloise went on to play for her university team in Chichester, resulting in a county call-up for Sussex before she had even finished her first year.

 

“I was called up to the first team after about two or three weeks,” she explains. “It was unheard of. I was a fresher, brand new and had never really done anything.”

 

But a devastating knee injury whilst playing for Havant in 2018 curtailed her playing career. Or so it seemed.

 

“I went to Pennyhill Park (the official training base for England’s elite rugby union teams) for my mum’s birthday,” she confides. “My sister and I got up at 7 in the morning and decided to go for a jacuzzi. We put on our robes and when we arrived at the spa, who should walk out but Eddie Jones, the godfather of rugby.”

 

Former England coach, Jones led the national side to Six Nations victories in 2016 and 2017, narrowly missing out on the Rugby World Cup in 2019. The Australian former player currently coaches Japan, following a spell leading his home country until 2023.

 

“At this point I wasn’t sure if I could go back to playing rugby,” Miss Shrimpton continues. “I had the fear because the injury was so debilitating. My sister pulled Eddie to one side and asked if it would be ok for me to talk to him. We talked about rugby and other stuff and he told me, ‘If you love it, you just have to do it. You’ll find a way’. I went back to rugby a month later.”

 

Flanker, Eloise went back to playing for Havant, earning herself a fresh county call-up, this time for Hampshire, for whom she has now played three seasons.

 

“For me, rugby is therapy,” she reveals. “All of my feelings can be directed in such a perfect way. If I’m feeling angry, frustrated or passionate about something, I can get onto the pitch, execute something really well and feel proud of myself. It’s really freeing.”

 

Eloise isn’t alone in being drawn to it. Women’s rugby is currently one of the fastest-growing sports globally, with this year’s World Cup expected to prompt another surge in player participation. The Women’s Six Nations saw record audiences tuning in and England’s dominance on the international stage suggests that we may be about to see some homegrown rosebuds seeking out a rugby pitch near them soon.

 

“As a PE teacher, I don’t believe that anyone is unsporting. You just have to find your thing. My belief is that it’s all about lifelong participation. You love walking, crack on. You love rock climbing, then do it. Find something that you love and that you can participate in for the rest of your life and your body will thank you for it.”

— Eloise Shrimpton, Head of 3rd Form

   

“I really want to grow the sport at LWC,” Eloise reveals. “It’s a real passion of mine. We currently have a Saturday morning programme, but the plan is to be part of a Barbarians team, where we play alongside players from other schools and really start driving girls’ rugby. I’d also love to help facilitate touch rugby sessions at prep and primary schools and run tournaments for them here at LWC.”

 

Eloise certainly has experience in building momentum for the sport. Not only is she visibly passionate about it in her role at LWC, but during her time away from playing, she helped to grow the women’s and girls’ sections at Alton Rugby Club, which are now thriving.

 

“We left a really good legacy,” she explains. “A couple of girls that I coached went on to play for the Harlequins Academy and one (Ellie Roberts) now plays for the England U20s.”

 

But if rugby isn’t your bag, Eloise is also ok with that. “As a PE teacher, I don’t believe that anyone is unsporting. You just have to find your thing. My belief is that it’s all about lifelong participation. You love walking, crack on. You love rock climbing, then do it. Find something that you love and that you can participate in for the rest of your life and your body will thank you for it.”

   

Having sustained a serious knee injury, broken collarbone and various broken bones in her hands, it’s debatable how much Eloise’s body has thanked her for her love of rugby over the years. But the contact element is part of the appeal.

 

“The contact really bonds you as a team. I know and trust the people around me and that they’ll have my back,” she explains. I also know that if I tackle them correctly, I’m not going to injure them. As much as it looks brutal and difficult, I trust that my body can do a thing that other people don’t think it can do and that’s huge. I think one of the reasons that the Red Roses are such a tight-knit group is that they all trust each other. I think it’s evident that in the women’s game, the trust and bond of friendship is bigger.”

 

Watching England play their World Cup Final at Twickenham brings back fond memories for Eloise, who cites playing at the home of English rugby as one of her stand-out moments.

 

“We (Hampshire) won the Gill Burns Women’s County Championship (Division 2) at Twickenham in 2024,” she smiles. “I must have been in that stadium nine months earlier as a spectator. I got to meet Marlie Packer (Saracens and England) and told her that she was a trailblazer. Because she was there, it meant I could be here and I cried my eyes out! We went into the changing rooms and I felt small, but in the best way. I was honoured to be there. It was a once-in-a-lifetime achievement.”

 

But the real highlight for Eloise, was being watched by her family and now 11-year-old daughter.

 

“She’s super proud of me and I honestly don’t think I could ask for more,” she admits. “She thinks I’m a powerhouse and she calls people out on calling rugby a men’s sport all the time. I absolutely love that.”