Catherine Spencer: First and Last
The latest in our series speaking to those who have led out a senior England side.
Catherine Spencer was a physical, fearless No 8 who joined mini rugby at Folkestone RUFC with her brother when she was nine years old.
With girls unable to play alongside boys beyond junior school, she started playing second row in Folkestone’s Ladies’ team at just 14 and converted to No8 while playing at Cardiff University, reaching the Twickenham BUSA final in her first year and captaining the team in her final year.
Her clubs included Worcester, Bristol and Aylesford, although Folkestone remains her home club and close to her heart.
The polar bear
She amassed 63 England caps in all, took over captaincy in 2007 and led the team for three seasons, which included three successive Six Nations titles. When she stepped down in 2010 she was, at that time, the team’s longest serving captain.
A player who led by example, she earned her nickname, the polar bear, from the way she defended a driving maul, wrapping her arms around and using her considerable strength to stop its progress.
Says former England Women’s head coach, Gary Street: “Catherine Spencer was a captain’s captain. Like Martin Johnson, she didn’t say much but when she spoke players listened. She stood out for her dedication, bravery and honesty and remained incredibly humble despite earning huge respect. She always had teammates’ respect. When she was in the England Academy, out of a 28 player group, she had 27 votes for player of the season.”
When she captained England at Twickenham against New Zealand in 2009 on her 50th cap, she was indomitable, leading her team to the first victory over the Black Ferns for eight years and scoring the only try.
These days she runs her own company Inspiring Women, an agency providing outstanding and inspirational female speakers. Her book Mud, Maul, Mascara: How I Led My Country, and Lived to Tell the Tale was published this year.
First - 15 December 2007 at London Irish Ground, Sunbury, (England 34-0 USA)
“By the time there was a vacancy for England captain I was 28 and I’d gone from being one of the youngsters to one of the senior players.
“I remember having a long conversation with Gary Street who’d just taken over as head coach. I was sitting in my car on a break from work discussing who might lead the team. I’d known Streety a long time because he’d been my England Academy coach but I didn’t talk about myself, only about team mates. Then I plucked up courage, rang him and said I wanted to put my name in the hat.
“A couple of weeks before we played the USA, I was just about to leave home in Bristol to drive to Worcester training when the phone went. It was Streety and he asked: ’What are you up to for the next year or two?’ I laughed and replied: ‘Just playing rugby, sleeping, training, playing rugby, sleeping, training!’
“Then he said: ’Well, your life’s about to become even busier because you’re going to be England captain.’ When I put the phone down I stared into the mirror and thought: ’I’m looking at the next England captain and it’s me!’ It was completely surreal.
“I couldn’t tell anyone until the captaincy was announced a couple of weeks later, just my family, who were so proud. They were always hugely supportive, always came to watch me and I was so pleased to give them the news.
“Then we had a training camp at the start of the 07/08 season and it was announced to the squad. It was really difficult because I’d injured my back and couldn’t train, and couldn’t prove myself. I was quietly confident that I could develop into a leader but a few players seemed surprised because I wasn’t the loudest person, I didn’t show the confidence I do now. I think it took a while for some to think I was all right as captain.
“The match was at the London Irish Sunbury ground and it was great to be on a pitch where I’d competed in the minis. I still had the certificate from that tournament and they’d had to cross out his and write in her. What was even better was the Folkestone girls were there playing a curtain raiser, all of them in their green shirts cheering for us.
“I remember writing notes for my pre-match talk, thinking about what other captains had said and overthinking everything, what I would do about my usual rituals, like running out last. I decided to run out first, then stop on the line and clap the girls on. I carried on doing that until my 50th cap, against New Zealand, when I ran on first.
“We played the USA on a cold December day. I looked into the crowd before the anthems, found my family, gave them a little nod as I always did, then bowed my head, closed my eyes. I was on the end and it really did feel different, a special moment. I was thinking a lot about how I must play at No 8, that I must show leadership skills by playing well, which was my first job. I was glad it was the USA as opposition, someone different before we went into the Six Nations.
“My first match in charge was Streety’s first as head coach and I wanted to support him, to do a good job for the team, for him and for Graham Smith, our forwards coach. We were expected to win but we weren’t complacent, we wanted to keep ramping it up, playing better and better as it became apparent we had a hold on the game. We knew we were going to win but it was important to win well.
“At the final whistle after speaking to the players, I sought out my family on the pitch, as we all did. Then I went to talk to the Folkestone girls which was brilliant, it meant a huge amount to me. I’ll always have tremendous gratitude to the club. They supported me, supported the ladies team when many weren’t doing that.
“The post-match meal was different. You’re usually sitting on a table, you’re relaxed, among team mates, maybe having a drink. Now I was on a more formal table with managers and coaches and I still had a job to do. That first time I got up to speak I felt a great responsibility. Our manager Jeanette Shaw was brilliant, she always had all the important information ready and the gifts for the visiting opposition. In the end, I really came to enjoy that part, the public speaking, but the first few times it was a daunting part of the captain’s job.”
Last - 5 September 2010 RWC final at Twickenham Stoop (England 10 – 13 New Zealand)
“I think I was in a bit of a pressure cooker, although I thought I was managing it well at the time. This massive thing was happening, a Rugby World Cup final on home soil, which we were expected to win.
“I’d been working for the RFU a couple of years before the match and remember being at a meeting with Nicky Ponsford, Rosie Williams, David Rose and they were saying we had to win, there was no other option. It was really hard, huge pressure. But I always felt we could win it.
“The build-up on the day was phenomenal, the number of fans, the media interest, a sell-out crowd at the Stoop. We were warming up at the nearby college pitch and it was hard staying focused as we were jogging past people coming to the match and then jogging back with everyone shouting, cheering. We weren’t used to such moments, it was amazing.
“We went back into the changing rooms, our shirts were on our pegs. I was sitting under Number 8, we always sat together under 6, 7, 8 Sarah Hunter, Maggie Alphonsi and me, our little back row unit. Those moments in the changing room, those shared emotions, are special times you cherish when you’ve retired, and what could be bigger than those moments before a World Cup final?
Swing Low
“Both teams ran out together. I just looked forward, focused on the job we had to do, taking all the emotion out onto the pitch. We’d never had the kind of noise we heard when we ran out for the anthems. Then when New Zealand started the haka the crowd began to sing Swing Low, it built to where it felt like the whole stadium was singing. Sophie Hemming and Maggie started singing it as well and for a moment I wondered whether we should be doing that, then I thought ‘for goodness sake, it’s the World Cup final just soak it in!’
“Then the whistle went and it was right, we’ve got a job to do. I know we made a few errors at the start, we were in our 22 defending for our lives. We were all square in the second half. I popped the ball to Amy Turner, who got it to Charlotte Barras and, as we were running back from the try, the noise from the crowd was incredible as the board showed 10-10.
“I’d never spent much time on the bench and when I was subbed off with 10 minutes to go I remember thinking I’m staying on, but obviously I couldn’t. I felt I hadn’t given it everything I could, that if I was going to be subbed I wish I’d known. Then I was watching from the sideline. We gave a penalty away and it was 13-10.
“For four years it had been ‘we have to win’. You’ve had an image of lifting the trophy in your head, it was unbelievably hard. I went back onto the pitch, thought ‘I have to get the players in’, we were all devastated. I congratulated the opposition, then we had to stand to the side while they brought out the staging. We had to go up and get our medals, which I don’t think any of us wanted. I put mine in my pocket. Then I watched their captain, Melissa Ruscoe, lift the trophy and it was one of the toughest moments of my life. There’s a picture of me and Maggie watching that.
“I had to do a Sky interview and took a few moments, went behind the screen and cried. I thought I can’t cry on TV, I just wanted to get back to the players. I got changed and went to the press conference. That was just so hard, sitting there with Streety, having to answer all the questions. I just didn’t want to be there, I was thinking ‘if only this was different, we’re supposed to be talking about winning and we’ve just lost’. It was absolutely devastating.
“I haven’t watched the match since, I haven’t been able to. I had a decision to make, I didn’t want to retire completely after that match but I decided to step down from captaincy. I’d been working, playing, being captain. I wanted to play a season just for me. I was also conscious I’d needed three years to develop as a captain and I wanted someone else to have that opportunity.
“Looking back, I wish I’d carried on until I retired from international rugby. I remember telling Streety and Katy Mclean before we went into the Six Nations. It was really hard and I was in tears as I’d been so emotionally invested in the captaincy. I don’t think I really realised just how much I loved captaining England until then.
“Nobody gives a captain feedback, but it really developed my confidence as a leader. I took a huge amount from it, learned what was important, how to communicate with different people. I’ve loved doing TV commentary, standing up in front of a crowd speaking. I’ve set up my own business, I don’t think I would have done any of that if I hadn’t been captain, the confidence it gives you is huge.”
Have what it takes to inspire the next generation of rugby talent? The Irwin Mitchell Mentoring Club will support a community of mentors to help age-grade players transition into the adult game. Find out more by visiting https://www.englandrugby.com/participation/playing/irwin-mitchell-mentoring-club
