John Hunter, a veteran and stalwart of London Irish RFC, takes time out during this period of social distancing to share snippets of his career and his journey through time with the club and his optimism for the arrival of the London Irish Ladies (the Emeralds) in 2016.

John's varied career, as an academic and a coach, makes sense of his unfailing interest and enthusiasm for many sports. His portfolio of sports involvement and experience is extensive, a part-time professional footballer, a manager of the Irish Schools athletic team, an athletics coach, a school's basketball coach, a rugby player and coach (City of Armagh 1st XV), and a sports academic.

He arrived in London having completed his Master’s degree at Leeds University in 1974 and began an esteemed career in Higher Education, at various institutions now known as Brunel University. In his early days as a sports lecturer, he concentrated on the Borough Road College student XV. In 1975 he was asked to coach the 1st XV at London Irish where he enjoyed a successful second season particularly taking the team to runners-up position in the English Club table. John had a spell away from London Irish coaching at Saracens and Richmond followed by an interruption in his rugby coaching career due to professional success and a promotion at work to Head of School. In 2003 he took early retirement and became the first professional appointed by the IRFU in England. In all, he spent 20 years working with the Irish Exiles to promote and support Irish qualified talent.

John is an “all sport” advocate but as a pronounced supporter of the Emeralds, he is unwavering in his weekly words of congratulations and commendations to the team. He shares his observations on the positive impact the Emeralds have made in the London Irish club environment “It is a reflection of a changing mindset and acknowledges the place of women’s rugby in the mix for a successful Club rugby landscape” and “it’s great to see a balance in the club where sport thrives”.

For John, recruitment is a fundamental need to ensure the Emerald’s sustainability. John sees the emergence of the London Irish Ladies and their success as “tremendously positive”, most importantly because it creates a vital opportunity to recruit, not just in the women’s game, but across all age grades. “Women’s rugby is a lifeline for the future prosperity of the game and a successful club”. “If you get a generation of women playing, that will create a dedicated cohort interested in promoting rugby to their children which will then organically and sustainably create the next generations of players, supporters, and volunteers”. He remarks “I would say the most positive thing I notice is the Emeralds playing and winning with enjoyment”, and “your Coaches and management seem to have the ability to inspire confidence and motivate performance, all with a smile on your faces”.

John stresses his mantra for creating success as a rugby team is: 1) a consistent and targeted recruitment policy and 2) concomitant publicity. The Emeralds have grown from 7 players in September 2016 to just under 60 women and girls today. He agrees that recruitment has become more organic in part due to the teams year on year success and reaching the Championship for 2020/21 but he mentions the jewel in our armoury is that “London Irish is a world-renowned brand name”. London Irish are promulgated by both the IRFU and RFU which in itself is unique and offers an added attractiveness to the Emerald's potential. “The link to the IRFU is very important, it means you can offer young ladies from Ireland a home from home, a club from club. Onshore here in the UK, the brand name means you are known for your perseverance, progress and ambition”. John reminisced on key London Irish recruitment he played a part in down the years, such as Rob Saunders and Conor O’Shea, he suggests “London Irish Ladies will develop and become known for similarly notable talents in the coming years”. Aligning the Emeralds with successful programs such as the Irish Exiles IQ talent ID program is “infinitely sensible” and “forging strengthening links with the IRFU for the betterment of women’s rugby at London Irish, is inspired”.

It’s widely argued that women’s sport, and women’s rugby, in particular, is a successful and marketable commodity whose time to share the spotlight, and the money, has come. “With exposure and publicity come sponsors. The Emeralds, like all teams moving into a performance standard of the game, need to work to create a product that sponsors will want to align their brands with and the Emerald's success offers an immediate marketable value”.

Women’s rugby is experiencing exponential growth which is largely down to the exposure of the elite game and inspiration gained from it. England Women have reached two World Cup finals since 2014, one of which they won. Ireland Women won a grand slam in 2013. Participation levels are at an all-time high with 2.7 million players globally – making up more than a quarter of the global playing population – and a 28 % increase in registered players since 2017. However, less than 9% of the players in England are women. John offers a perspective on some of the challenges the Emerald’s face especially concerning youth girl’s rugby, “the set up in schools is fundamental to accessibility in the sport. As a professional in higher education and as a sports scientist, I believe the misalignment of sports based on gender has impacted the participation numbers in women’s rugby”. John suggests that “school programs have yet to advance to align with the growth in women’s rugby “and that “proportional opportunity for the sport needs to be offered at school level”. He feels that “(Emerald’s) are more remarkable in their success because of challenges like participation numbers and the girl's school sports programs” and “imagine the highlights that could be achieved if school’s programs adapt”.

As John coalesced, he made one final observation on the Emerald's aspirations to advance into the top flight of elite women’s rugby in the UK, the Tyrells Premier 15s, “Why not, it’s nothing more than what is possible, deserved or that which you are capable of. Just remember “Recruitment & Publicity” and always keep smiling”.

John S Hunter interviewed by Aoife Conroy Evans