Coach tips Leeds Rhinos women to conquer Covid-19 challenge

Men’s teams got more than a month of matches under their belt before competitive rugby was suspended, but for the women, the shutdown came right at the end of pre-season.

Betfred Women’s Super League was due to kick off at the end of March, but was put on hold after all rugby league was suspended two weeks earlier.

Rhinos had stopped training a week before the government’s order, because of the club’s own guidelines.

Forsell, who took over last year’s cup and league champions from Adam Cuthbertson in the off-season, said: “The girls have had lots of support about what they can be doing and should be doing, guidance-wise, but everyone’s having to do it on their own.

“That’s a great opportunity, but also a time when people are going to have to be really really good at motivating themselves and staying on the right track.

“The girls are doing really well, they are all buying in. It is a great opportunity in the sense that those who don’t work at the moment have got an opportunity to almost train full-time, kind of have a second pre-season.

“Obviously they are all missing playing, because they were ready for round one and we were all looking forward to the season starting, but it is one of those things.”

Forsell admitted the timing of the suspension was particularly frustrating, for herself as well as the team.

“The girls are raring to get going,” she added. “I was excited to get going with a change of role, but the good thing is if anyone was thinking they needed to do more before the season started, they have got that opportunity now.

“I am sure the men will be feeling the same, if they weren’t quite happy with their performance from a fitness perspective they will be using this time to make sure they are up to scratch once they get back.”

Reserve grade rugby was abandoned for the year last week, but the Leeds coach is hopeful there will be a women’s competition in 2020. She said: “What we have heard is the RFL are optimistic they will get a season up and running, but I suppose they are the same as everyone - no one can make any judgements because it’s such an unprecedented time and we’ve not had anything like it before to say ‘in the past this is what happened’.

“The RFL are doing a great job of looking at contingency plans and they have been great, they will let us know as and when.”

Forsell has been furloughed from her job with Rhinos’ foundation, but is doing voluntary work during the Covid-19 crisis.

“The foundation have allowed us to reach out to other charities that needed volunteers,” she said. “I am volunteering at the minute for Homeless Street Angels. A lady called Becky Joyce is the driving force behind that.

“She doesn’t live too far away from me and she packs up meals throughout the whole week and on a Thursday and Friday I go and collect meals and take them to a hotel where the homeless and refugees are staying for the moment.”

The former England player is also branching out into broadcasting. She was a presenter of the Inside Super League magazine show on Sky before coronavirus put that in limbo and has now launched her own women in sport podcast. She said: “I enjoyed [Inside Super League]; it was a learning curve, but I said when I hung up my boots whatever opportunities came my way, no matter how daunting they may seem, I was going to put myself out of my comfort zone and challenge myself and be a better version of myself.

“It has been a challenge and I am learning lots.”

Of the podcast, Forsell added: “It has been great, hearing so many different people’s stories. It is great to get different perspectives - and human interaction.”

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