Emma Hardy: From Girl in da Corner to Showtime at Showdown

When Emma Hardy was first introduced to Dizzee Rascal’s music by her brother, she would likely never have believed that 20 years later she would be gracing the same stadium as the British rapper.

But there is plenty about Hardy’s career that may have seemed beyond her reach just a few years ago.

The 25-year-old centre will feature in Saracens’ Showdown 6 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium where they will take on Sale Sharks at 2.30pm.

It forms part of a double header with the men’s side who will face Northampton Saints at 6pm with a performance from Dizzee Rascal promising to entertain between the two blockbuster fixtures.

“I am actually a massive Dizzee Rascal fan, which sounds like I’ve been paid to say that but I actually am,” admitted Hardy.

“I was pretty excited to hear that he’s performing. My younger brother was really into it as well, so he got me into him.”

But while Hardy will be hoping to hear her personal favourite Chillin’ Wiv Da Man Dem, the main focus will be on securing victory against a Sharks side in the ascendancy.

Saracens currently sit second, firmly in the charge for the semi-finals but experienced an agonising 22-17 defeat to leaders Gloucester Hartpury last time out.

Their opponents, meanwhile, have hit form with five wins in their last five to move into the final semi-final spot ahead of the Showdown.

“It’s going to be an awesome game,” said Hardy. “The form has been well overdue [for Sale] and it’s good that they’re getting on the right side of results.

“For us that presents a big challenge and we’re really looking forward to getting stuck into that.

“We’ve had some good form this season but we’re coming off the back of that defeat to Gloucester, so we’ll be looking to right some wrongs.

“You almost forget what it feels like [to lose] and then it’s really tough and frustrating when you’re on the other end of results. There’s definitely some fire in us now.”

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And if the prospect of positioning themselves as well as possible for a semi-final charge isn’t enough motivation, with The Circus showing a rare glimpse of fallibility against Loughborough Lightning, the added impetus at playing at a 63,000-capacity stadium surely is.

“It’s a whole different challenge and one that the girls haven’t faced too much in the club game, obviously a lot have internationally,” added Hardy.

“It’s a different challenge. It’s probably something we haven’t experienced since last year’s final in terms of the amount of noise there’ll be.

“It’s a chance to focus on ourselves and stick to our processes and put in a good performance.”

And those internationals that have become far more familiar with big game atmospheres are numerous at Sarries.

In fact, against Gloucester, Hardy was the only non-international to feature in the starting XV having cemented her place within a truly stacked squad.

And having struggled with the environment and level in England Sevens at the very start of her career, it is demonstrates the development of Hardy’s own game and self.

“When I was in sevens, I was very young and pretty inexperienced. It felt like a fantastic opportunity, but I got thrown in a little bit at the deep end and I wasn’t ready for it,” said Hardy, who also notched her first try against Gloucester Hartpury.

“Now I feel comfortable on the pitch more so than I ever have. I’m thankful that I’ve now got that confidence I didn’t have back then.

“It shows that resilience is the key thing and to never stop trying, as cliché as that sounds.”

It is a confidence that has been forged in north London, having made the switch down south from Lightning in 2024.

“I was at a pretty low point in my rugby career, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to play again because it wasn’t bringing me any enjoyment,” she said.

“Alex Austerberry said I can come and train with no pressure and then the performances came and I wasn’t even thinking about how I was performing.

“I managed to regain that love for it and Saracens has been a massive part of it for me and helped me kick on my career.”

And there will be no better way to synergise that personal development with the growth of the game than in front of thousands of fans at the Showdown.

It might have started feeling like Boy in Da Corner for Hardy, but a live stadium performance at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be just another step in a career still on the up.

“It's going to be unbelievable in such a great stadium. The more we can get [games at THS] in, the more we can actually invite a crowd in,” she said.

“To have it at such a cool venue it's just going to get people wanting to come back and see it.

“Hopefully the performance out there will be pretty spectacular to watch with two teams who are in form putting on a spectacle for the crowd.”