My Life in Rugby: Vicky Macqueen – Saracens was the place to be

Vicky Macqueen, the former England and Saracens full-back and ex Leicester Tigers head coach, reflects on her life in rugby.

Receiving the British Empire Medal in 2018 was one of those moments that still feels slightly surreal when I look back on it.

Walking into Buckingham Palace felt like stepping into a film set and, if I am honest, I do not think the honour really sank in until much later.

It was obviously a huge personal privilege, but more than anything it made me reflect on all the people who had helped me get to that point – my family, my coaches, team-mates, schools, clubs and all the people who had backed me along the way.

The medal recognised my work in rugby and especially what we had built with didi rugby (devised to get young children active and to teach them new skills), but it also felt like recognition of a whole lifetime spent in the game.

Changed

What struck me most was how much rugby had changed between the days when I was playing and where the women’s game is now.

When I won my first England cap in 2004 against Canada, we probably had around 800 people there watching.

Compare that to the Red Roses now, running out in front of 80,000 at Twickenham, and it is extraordinary.

My own rugby story began when I was 14. I was lucky because I managed to get my school to start playing rugby at a time when girls’ rugby was still seen as a bit unusual.

I had a brilliant PE teacher who was keen to get us involved, and at the same time, Hinckley Rugby Club started a women’s team.

So, from the age of 15, I had both school rugby and club rugby, which was a huge advantage. As soon as I picked up a rugby ball, I loved it.

Calling the shots: Vicky Macqueen as Leicester head coach

Special day

My first representative taste came with England Students in 1998-99. That felt massive at the time because only a year earlier, I had suffered a nasty dislocated elbow playing for the Midlands and been told by a surgeon that I might never play again.

I remember thinking there was no chance I was accepting that. A year later, I was pulling on an England shirt against the USA Eagles student side.

My mum had refused to watch me play after the elbow injury and said she would only come back if I ever played for England, so that game forced her hand.

Mum and Dad were there and it was a really special day.

From there, I spent years on the England pathway. It was not a quick journey.

I had six years of being in and around squads, getting picked, getting dropped, touring and missing out before I finally won my first full cap in November 2004 against Canada.

I had been with England A, toured New Zealand, toured South Africa, and kept having to be patient.

So when that cap came, it meant everything because I knew how much work and disappointment had gone into getting there.

Juggling act

The game was very different then. I was still teaching full-time for much of my playing career and fitting all my rugby around work.

I did get a brief period of lottery funding, which allowed me to go part-time, but even then, it was still a huge juggling act.

There were early mornings in the gym, long drives for club training, England camps and then going straight back into school life.

I think that is probably one of the biggest differences between then and now.

The standards and commitment were every bit as high, but the support structures around the players have changed beyond recognition.

Successful

A huge part of my career was my seven years with Saracens from 2003 to 2010.

Back then, if you wanted to play at the top level in the women’s club game, Saracens was the place to be.

They were incredibly successful, almost invincible at times, and it meant I got to play alongside some outstanding players.

Maggie Alphonsi, Rachael Burford, Amy Garnett, Rochelle Clark and plenty of England internationals were all part of that environment. It was a brilliant place to test yourself and develop.

There were a few England highlights that will always stay with me. Playing Sevens in Hong Kong was unforgettable.

I think there were about 45,000 people there and it was the biggest crowd I played in front of.

Then there was the New Zealand tour in 2001 when we beat them. I did not get on the pitch, but being part of a side that won in New Zealand was still a huge moment.

Proud moment

Another highlight was scoring in a win over Scotland at Twickenham.

My playing career finished in 2009 because of an injury that still sounds strangely minor when you say it out loud: my right big toe joint.

Apparently, it was the same issue that finished Gary Lineker, so at least I was in reasonable company.

But for a rugby player, especially when so much power and acceleration comes through your foot, it was a major problem.

Later on, in 2021, I had the opportunity to become Leicester Tigers women’s first head coach.

That was another really proud moment. Leicester knew they were behind other clubs in the women’s game and wanted to move quickly.

It was a blank-page project in many respects. We had to build a programme, strengthen links with Lichfield, recruit smartly and create the structures needed to take the club into the top level.

Meaningful

Players like Tash Jones and Becky Noon were huge early signings for us, and later bringing in names such as Amy Cokayne and Meg Jones helped move the programme forward.

Alongside all that, didi rugby has become a massive part of my life.

I set it up in 2015 after a serious health scare when I contracted necrotising fasciitis following a mud run and ended up in intensive care.

The doctors told me my fitness had probably saved my life. Coming through that, I knew I wanted to do something meaningful and positive.

It was about getting more children active from an early age, helping parents engage with their kids physically and socially, and feeding more young players into the game.

– as told to Ben Jaycock