The track sprinter turning to rugby
You can’t teach speed – that’s the golden rule that has seen Kiera Paul-Jones transform from a teenage sprinter to rising star in rugby.
“I was always fast,” says Paul-Jones, whose 100 metre personal best was just over 12.5 seconds.
“I spent most days a week training for athletics and when I went to university that’s what I planned on continuing.”
"When I got there the athletics set up wasn't what i'd hoped for so I didn't know what to do. Someone on my course said I should give rugby a try because my speed would be a good fit for it.
“I didn’t know anything about rugby but when I got there I just told them I was quite fast. They asked me to chase down and catch a high ball and from that they put me straight in the team."
In the week before her first match Paul-Jones spent her days in the library reading everything she could about the rules of the game.
“I became obsessed with rugby. Whenever I put my mind to something I want to do my best at it so I tried to find out everything I could, even if the other girls thought I was a bit of a keen fresher!”
All the hard work seemed to pay off; Paul-Jones was unstoppable in her first match, using her speed to score two tries and so began her incredible rugby journey.
She is now in her fourth year at university and since first picking up a ball she has represented her university, county, Richmond Ladies and England Students.
“It’s been crazy,” says Paul-Jones of her journey. “Rugby has become my life and I want to take it as far as I can.”
The tricky decision for Paul-Jones may be choosing which direction she goes as it’s not only her playing career that is on the rise.
After completing a year as a community rugby coach at London Irish, and being put through her level two coaching qualification by the RFU, she is now the assistant coach for the university’s men’s team.
Her progress in the coaching world was recently noticed as part of the Mitsubishi Motors Volunteer Recognition Programme where she was one of 12 coaches from across the country invited to take part in a training session with England head coach Eddie Jones.
