BCH Physio brings home a medal from the Touch Rugby World Cup
Birmingham Children's Hospital Physio Claire Rylance played Touch Rugby for England in the same city where the Transplant Games, aimed at celebrating those that have received the gift of life are happening this year, Nottingham.
Claire said: “It was really nice for it being a home world cup so we could have a lot of supporters.
“Sport is great for so many reasons. Being part of a team is fantastic and an awesome thing to do and be a part of”
“Sport enables you to do more, keeping you fitter and healthier for longer.”
She took home a silver medal, making England 35s women’s team second in the world for Touch rugby after competing against Australia in the 2024 Touch Rugby World Cup.
She said: “It's pretty special. It's not often you have the opportunity to play for your country let alone make it to the finals in your home country.
“To be second in the world is no mean feat.”
Having been involved with the sport for the last decade after being introduced through a Birmingham Children's Hospital staff-run team, Claire has been an advocate for getting young people involved in the very “inclusive” sport.
The Birmingham Children's Hospital Physio said: “In recent years the sport has really been developing. It is inclusive for everyone.
'There's the opportunity to play in single-sex and mixed teams as well as opportunity across age ranges with teams from junior up to over 55's teams'
Claire said: “Touch offers an outlet where there is a reduced risk of concussion. Getting the sport into schools with more young people playing would be massive”
She even went as far as supporting a new team set up called “Revolution” based in Bourneville to make the sport more accessible for those living in the West Midlands as before the only team to train with was based in Oxford.
Alongside playing Claire also coaches Under 15s. She said: “I love working with young people. Sport can bring so much to you in terms of developing you as a person as well as developing you physically.
“It is really nice to be involved in these children’s journey helping them to discover more about themselves, how they cope under pressure developing their skills and seeing them grow into well-rounded individuals.”
Check out our social media pages to see Claire’s top three reasons why you should get involved with Touch Rugby.