Fabulous Fifty – Nicky Crawford
Fifty is a significant number for England and Worcester rugby legend Nicky Crawford.
Not only is she just hitting the big 50, but she was the first England Women’s player to reach 50 tries.
Nicky, 50 on 20th November, also became the first women's player to score 60 international tries and she retired with 65 caps.
Having discovered rugby while at the University Officer Training Corps in Bristol, the flying wing didn’t pursue a military career, but she did go on to become England’s leading try scorer and influenced the growth of the women’s game both as a player and mentor.
People like Worcester and England’s Kat Merchant have credited Nicky with their rugby development. Said Kat: “I owe a lot to Nicky, who nurtured my game from when I was 16 and I’ve always admired her on-field performances.”
The Worcester Express
Originally Nicky Brown, and known to team mates as Browner, Nicky began her rugby career with Pershore rugby club before moving to Worcester. Dubbed the Worcester Express, fans would delight in supporting Nicky with a “choo-choo” chant as she sped down the wing, evading tacklers.
She played in three Rugby World Cups in Holland, Spain and Canada and was pivotal in England reaching the 2006 World Cup final, before retiring from international rugby. Highlights of her career included featuring in the first women’s international at Twickenham Stadium, being named as English rugby's top female player in 2002, beating New Zealand in North Harbour in 2001 and having huge fun on Hong Kong tours.
Teacher and coach
A teacher at Arden School. Solihull, Nicky is married to Niall, Worcester Rugby Club’s Director of Rugby and they have two children 14-year-old Rory and Jessie, who is 12 and plays for Worcester U13s girls, where Nicky is the coach.
Girls at Nicky’s school have also been demanding to play rugby and she said: “We have just set up a girls’ team and had 14 at our first training session, with more very keen but unavailable for that session. We have players from Old Silhillians and Barkers Butts clubs and some completely new to the game.”
She hopes that some of the girls she coaches can get as much from the sport as she has.
“I have made some incredible friends in the teams I played with, at Worcester and England, some amazing players. Rugby has shaped me as a person to become determined, resilient to gain all those qualities you need in life.
“I loved being able to play with my husband and my mum and dad watching. My parents were so supportive and my dad, who we lost earlier this year, was always so proud to be there watching me play for England. When we went out to Canada, he needed to get a new passport, telling them why he needed it, to watch me play for my country!
“I started playing rugby with some friends I had done other sports with. We found each other again playing rugby. A few were from Poncy Club tetrathlon, including my England teammate Jo Yapp. My first pony was a little brown and white Welsh mountain pony called Bambi, but Duster, the horse I was competing with, died when I was away at rugby camp.
“I got the news while I was there, which was tough, but our sports psychologist, Kirsten Barnes, a former Olympic Canadian rower, was tremendously helpful, very understanding of what that loss was.
“In my time in rugby I saw the greatest change. We had support from a sports psychologist and other specialists, we got help across the board, thanks to Lottery funding, whereas initially you were having to fund your own travel to matches abroad.
“I am so grateful for rugby, which has been a massive support in my life. There is nothing like having your teammates around you. There are lots of highs but also the occasional lows and, on those occasions, they are a real family.”
Tributes from coach and teammates
Said former England captain Sue Day: “Browner (aka the Worcester Express) was one of those players who always brought such energy to the squad on and off the pitch. Always encouraging, always smiling, always working so hard and always scoring tries! She played at a time when there was little recognition and so it's only appropriate that we try to set that straight - just a little - now.
“Throughout her playing career she juggled teaching with early mornings and late nights to get her training done and was equally dedicated to Worcester as she was to England. To be the first player to 50 tries, and to do it alongside a highly successful teaching career, is phenomenal and is testament to her dedication, fitness and team spirit.”
Nicky’s England coach Geoff Richards said: “Words are difficult to find to express the quality that Browner brought to the England set up both on and off the field. She was the consummate professional and worked hard to improve the individual and unit skills that she displayed in abundance on the field.
“There was always a sense of panic in the opposition when Browner got her hands on the ball. Despite her prowess and success, she remained humble and was always looking to improve her play as well as encouraging others. Her positive attitude and smiling personality had an immediate effect on all those who came into contact with her. It was a privilege to have coached Browner and everyone who came into contact with her is much enriched by the presence of this lovely person.”
And said Gill Burns: “Browner was a superstar. She was such a great addition to the squad and her enthusiasm for all things rugby rubbed off on those around her. She shone firstly in the Divisional Championships in a Midlands team that was full of up and coming players and enjoyed her senior England career with so many tries; she was a fantastic finisher, one of the very best.
“Browner was always in the thick of the action on the park, creeping up on team mates’ shoulders to receive passes that resulted in scores. She was also at the centre of everything fun off the field too. Here she is (red jacket) when we had a few free hours at the Euros in 1999 and we visited Venice. The second picture shows Browner on the back row of the bus, where the fun was to be had and the singing often started."
