England Women and St Helen’s player, Chantelle Crowl was unfortunate to miss out on the 24-player squad that was selected by Head Coach Craig Richards ahead of the Rugby League World Cup.
However, she had the opportunity to play for England Knights Women, in a 14-26 defeat in a warmup friendly against the Cook Islands before their World Cup campaign.
Even with the disappointment of not being in England’s final squad, Crowl still sees the significance of today’s match, and the potential of the Knights squad. She said: “It’s very important, I just want to be around rugby league really. This was my last game so I will go on to support the women now.”
Despite England Women being far from their best at the World Cup in 2017. She has used that experience to remind some of her young teammates to “have fun” as they look to impress and make their way into the next World Cup squad.
The prop said: “I wanted to show that they’re missing out on something and just prove it to myself.” A clear sign of self-belief after a good, experienced performance for the knights.
Knight’s head coach Lois Forsell views the new set up as a step forward and she said: “For some people it will be a setback, but it’s actually an opportunity that they’re really looking forward to making the most of.”
This further reiterates Crowl’s desire to still be as closely involved with rugby league as possible and how she embraced today’s fixture as a chance to prove herself.
Looking ahead, Chantelle said she aims to: “Keep fit and keep on going, keep working on my strength because the girl’s game is growing and growing, so I just need to keep above that.”
