RETIRING TO THE CARIBBEAN SHOWED SHAUNAGH BROWN HOW RUGBY AND SOCIETY CAN BE

“Meeting black politicians was big for me – obviously I knew you can be black and a politician and there are a few in this country but it’s just the everyday of seeing them, having a meeting with them, and just not feeling out of place as I do so often. 

“I went to an event and there were all these politicians and teachers and they were just dancing to Caribbean music. I thought ‘Wow this normally only happens when I’m with my friends’.

"But I was at a formal event, and it was like 'Ah this is so cool.'  

“'This is where I belong'.” 

The former England international’s role went beyond the pitch while abroad, she contributed deeply to the rugby development and education of the islands, usually introducing people to the sport for the first time. 

“The coaching side was brilliant, for me and my learning as a coach, as a carer of people and learning how rugby is done differently,” Brown added. “Actually, it’s done really well in the Cayman Islands.

“They’ve considered accessibility to the point where they are moving where their rugby club is so more people can get there, and they don’t have to be driven. 

“I was going into government schools as well as private schools. As a result of that, literally every week we would have new girls coming to the rugby club sessions on a Saturday morning. 

“By the end of my visit we were getting 30 to 40 girls in a session and the population of the island is only 72,000. 

“They would say they don’t even know what rugby is when I start the session and probably by the end they still don’t really know what rugby is! 

“But they know that they belong, that they can have a good time. 

“That sense of belonging is so important and that can be found in rugby if they’re exposed to it in the right way.” 

So, what can the English game learn from the Cayman Islands approach? 

“In a sentence, to not be so uptight,” Brown said. “Just chill out, it’s just rugby. It’s just a sport, let people be who they want to be.” 

Being unashamedly yourself is a mantra Brown has held and shared throughout her playing career and she remains a fierce supporter of increasing rugby’s diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility. 

“Not everybody who can be a great rugby player in England is currently playing rugby,” Brown said. “So how often are clubs going into state schools and running community sessions? 

"How accessible is your club? Can you get public transport to your training ground? 

"Then it’s how do you let people know that you’re there, you exist and you want them to play? Where are you advertising for your new talent?

"And with Premiership clubs, where are you looking for your new talent and are you willing to produce it yourself?

"In the men’s system there’s plenty of pathways but there’s not as many for the women."

On her return to the UK the forward made the decision to re-join her former club Harlequins ahead of the 2023/24 season. 

As an ex-international, experiencing a Cup campaign presented its own challenges and learnings but offered an opportunity for Brown to flex her coaching muscles again. 

She said: “A lot of the girls in the Cup had never played Premiership rugby in their life.  

“It was about being able to tone it down a bit in terms of how I play, how to speak to people, how to get the most out of people.