Rosie Randall: Number One

Rosie joined the section at the beginning of 2005. Linking up with Jade Randfield she was the last piece in the creation of a remarkably powerful scrum for a team of novices.

We were very much a forward based team in those days. In practice age bands were rather more flexible and most of the time we were able to put out a single all-age team with five-player scrum featuring Rosie and Jade as props, Carla as hooker, and two from Nichola, Nim and Hayley in the second row. With Katie at scrum half what the team lacked in skill and experience, it more than made up for 

with guile and power. It was undoubtedly why that team did so well in its first season - and Rosie was a key part of the success.

But Rosie's greatest game in that first season came in one of the few "legal" U14 games in the first Herts 7s at Cheshunt. 

Lining up alongside Carla and Nichola, her first great contribution was to release Hayley into the backs to cause havoc. However, it was in the semi-final that she came into her own. 

That first Herts 7s was a bit smaller than those that have come later. Only 7 teams in the U14s, and our semi-final was against Chesham - who we had already beaten in a mildly controversial pool game (not our fault - the referee mucked up the rules and wanted to declare our 20-10 win a draw. We objected). 

The game was desparately close - and was Rosie at the centre of a heroic defence of a one try lead in the second half that saw us into our first final in our first tournament.

Rosie was originally less confident about going forward with the ball - a tendency to use the ball as an air cushion when going into tackles being a slight problem. 

However, encouraged by her coaches (not least her brother, Joe) she improved year on year and year so that Rosie is now an important attacking option now, drawing in the defence while taking crucial yards. Rosie can take some stopping - as Ampthill discovered (right).

Rosie's tackling can also be pretty impressive (as left against Worcester) - in fact she is now the perfect prop. 

When it came to 10s and 15s - real rugby - Rosie was deservedly first name down on the teamsheet - a number one Legend!