Helena Rowland: Rugby's ultimate Swiss Army knife

Helena Rowland is the ultimate rugby Swiss Army knife, so versatile that you’d probably back her to start in the forwards if coach John Mitchell made that call.

In recent weeks, Rowland has played at full-back, fly-half and centre, and even on the wing and Mitchell even thinks she has the makings of a handy scrum-half.

However, she is determined to seize her opportunity after being selected ahead of Emma Sing to replace England’s injured superstar Ellie Kildunne at the heart of England’s back three.

Rowland has suffered from being behind Kildunne in the pecking order for full-back and both Zoe Harrison and Holly Aitchison at number 10, which you sense is the position she desires most. Look at the team sheets from her PWR campaign with Loughborough Lightning last season, and it’s clear the debate about her best position isn’t confined to the Red Roses.

She is delighted to be given number 15 for Sunday’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Scotland, making her 44th appearance in an international career in which she has, remarkably, never lost.

“I want to be starting every game, but versatility is a blessing and a curse,” she admits. “It gets you into the squads, but you want to always be in the 23 and playing. I want to be starting, but if this is the role they want me in to win the World Cup, then I’ll just try and do it to the best of my ability.

“I can spend the week training, nailing the details for one specific position, and then I’m off the bench and plans change.

“I think how we play means it’s a bit more seamless to move around the backs. Playing on the wing is a new experience too — I probably hadn’t appreciated how lonely it was out there. Ultimately, it’s pretty straightforward: I’ll play wherever I’m needed if it gets me on the pitch.”

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When Kildunne was ruled out of this match with a concussion, most expected Sing to deputise. No player has beaten more defenders in club rugby, and she stepped up for the Women’s Six Nations Grand Slam decider against France earlier this year.

Sing, who was the top points scorer in last season’s Premiership Women’s Rugby league for champions Gloucester-Hartpury, scored two tries in that narrow one-point win but later admitted she made too many mistakes and felt the pressure of the big occasion.

However, Rowland remains one of the most understated world-class players in the tournament. Her style lifts those around her, taking the pressure off the wingers too. She scored 27 points from one try and 11 conversions in England’s pool match against Samoa, where she started at fly-half.

Mitchell isn’t prone to effusive praise about individuals, with a relentless focus on “the team”. However, it’s clear what Rowland means to the former All Blacks coach in this campaign.

“She’s Miss Versatility and that’s what makes her the most valuable player in this team,” said Mitchell. “She can play anywhere and she’s always making it a headache where to fit her. She’s just an outstanding rugby player.”

England have won their opening three fixtures by an aggregate 208-17 — they could have missed every kick at goal and still progressed top of their pool with room to spare.

But in the knockouts, with scorelines expected to be tighter, kicking matters. England’s Six Nations win over France was secured by a solitary point.

“You want that pressure, it’s the ego in some ways, and I love high-pressure situations and having all the responsibility,” added Rowland.

“I was a terrible kicker when I started, but Zoe Harrison was a couple of years above me at my club and when she moved up, I gave it a go.

“I used to make my dad take me to the local sports field, rain or shine, to work on my kicking. We’d be down there for hours. He’s a back-rower, so his knowledge was a bit limited.

“Kicking is something I take a lot of pride in — I want to be good at it. In girls’ rugby there aren’t many people who put their hand up to do it. I saw it as a skill I wanted to chase after. It took a long time, but I got there.”

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