Our huge congratulations go to Senior School Maths teacher, Vicki Franks, on her selection in the England squad for the forthcoming Touch Rugby World Cup in Malaysia between the 28 April and 4 May.

Vicki will be playing in the Women’s 27 England Team, and this will be the first time that she has competed in a World Cup. The tournament includes 116 teams playing across 15 different categories, and include men’s, women’s and mixed teams in different age categories.

“I’m really excited about the opportunity to play against these world teams,” says Vicki. “The top of the league has always been Australia so to play against them is a real challenge and a chance to gauge ability against the best in the world.”

Another challenge will be the conditions and the climate that players will face during the World Cup. “Malaysia is very hot and humid so this will be a challenge of fitness. You also need a lot of physical fitness to play such a fast paced game, especially when you are playing multiple games a day.”

Vicki started playing touch rugby eight years ago as a way to keep fit during the summer, and now plays with the Cambridge Touch Association on weekends and in the evenings. Her journey to the World Cup began with being selected to play for the region where she competed at the Nationals and was then scouted by national coaches to train with the England squad.

As a teacher, Vicki is especially keen to get young people involved with touch rugby. She describes it as: “a very fast paced game where you have to make really quick decisions and the use of strategy is really important. It is also a really good basis for anyone wanting to play Union and League rugby.”

Everyone here at the Stephen Perse Foundation is delighted about her achievement.

“We’re really proud of Vicki and wish her and the team every success in the tournament,” said Principal Tricia Kelleher. “Her selection to the England Touch Rugby team is a testament to Vicki’s dedication and commitment to the sport and is truly inspirational to everyone in our school community.”

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