In a new series of articles, we profile some of the key players from our Hull FC Women’s side in 2020. This week, we catch up with centre Lauren Sutton.
Tell us about how you are enjoying playing for the Hull FC Women?
I absolutely love playing for Hull FC women. All the girls are so talented and supportive which has allowed me to develop so much as a player, having coming from the U16s. The spirit and motivation that the girls have is unreal and there is a real sense of belief within the group that we can do well this season, which is amazing.
I’m very confident that we will do well and achieve what we want to achieve this season. Being one of the youngest in the team, I do sometimes feel like there is extra pressure for me to perform well, but I use this as a motivation to prove that I deserve to be in the starting line up for a match by training hard.
How are you finding life and training at the moment amidst the COVID-19 pandemic?
Obviously, the current pandemic isn’t great for us as we are unable to train as a group however that hasn’t stopped the motivation of the girls and myself from doing the best they can at home.
Staying inside is very important at the moment. We have individual programmes given to us by the coach Sam and we complete these in order to keep our training going, with him checking in with us all to continue our progress. We still take part in group conditioning sessions on zoom, keeping us all together, which are really good.
What’s your goals for the new season?
This season I have a couple of goals that I’d like to achieve, both individual and as a team. The main goal for me is to improve as a player, which already I believe my fitness has massively improved due to having an early pre-season and, but I need to keep that high or I could lose out due to the talented players we have. I had England trials a couple months ago and learnt a lot from that which hopefully I can use and develop as a player.
Another goal for me is to enjoy this season. Last season was my first season with the women which made me slightly nervous however this season I’ve got more confidence which hopefully I can demonstrate. As a team the main goal is to improve on last season and hopefully progress to Super League. The Hull Derby Challenge Cup match is a game I’d love to play in, to represent my side in the first ever women’s derby is also a goal of mine, it would be amazing, so hard work ahead!
How do you think you have improved with the Hull FC Women’s side?
I’d definitely say that my knowledge of the game has improved a lot through being at Hull FC Women, thanks to the detailed help from our coach Sam – he looks to identify the strengths and weaknesses in my game and not just sit down with me but with each individual player to ensure we get the right feedback to build on. Developing knowledge of our set plays and defensive structures etc, has really helped to improve my skill set as a player.
This season we had an early pre-season which has been extremely beneficial and had a positive impact on all of the teams. I owe a lot of my development to Sam, I believe he is an amazing coach, he really does know a lot about the sport which he demonstrates when he is coaching us. I’ve known Sam for quite a few years as he’s coached me all the way from Hull FC girls U14s to the Hull FC women’s side, so he really has taught me a lot about rugby and seen me develop as a player. Like I mentioned, the little bits of improvement he has mentioned to me has helped me nail a preferred position in the side.
You are helping coaching the under 14’s Girls team here at Hull FC, how do you find that?
Been involved with the Hull FC women’s team has given me the opportunity to coach, in which I help out in coaching the Hull FC girls U14s. This is important for me as it develops me as a player but also shows the U14s the development from U14s to U16s and into the women’s side, which is the development path that I had.
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