It started with a hypothetical conversation between three friends that turned into a reality.
Members of the women’s Greek National Rugby team, Rania Koutsikou, Chrysi Lymperidi and Pinelopi Maroufidi made their way over to Wales to take their skills to the next level.
“While searching for where to go we discovered a department at the University of South Wales that focuses on rugby coaching and we decided to take the step all together to pursue our dream,” Ms Maroufidi said.
The sports science program at the university is the next step for the trio to turn their passion into a profession.
“I’m looking forward to being able to ‘live’ the sport I love at a much better level and in a country where it’s considered tradition. The people we’ll work with and those who will teach us have valuable experience, giving us the opportunity to work with popular teams and of course to play as players and enjoy quality facilities,” Ms Koutsikou explained.
Their determination and drive stretch far beyond achieving their dreams of becoming top rugby players.
When we think of Greek sports culture, celebrations of winning the 2004 Euro Championships flood our memories, along with pioneering the famed Olympic Games.
Ms Lymperidi hopes that her time in Wales can put her onto the trajectory to develop the game on home soil.
“Although in some foreign countries there are more prospects for development in the field of sports, ideally I would like to return to Greece, to offer my knowledge and contribute to the development of the sport in any way,” she said.
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The coverage of women’s sporting leagues are significantly less than their male counterparts and are not exactly held to equal esteem than that of the men’s arena.
There are a multitude of reasons this may be the case; be it far less focus on marketing and building of fan relationships or the lack of the foundation female athletes have to capitalise on their talents.
“Women’s sports are a big asset…A woman has to prove twice as much that she does something ‘serious’ in sports,” Ms Koutsikou said.
Fostering women’s ongoing development in the field of sport has been a very slow and painful process. At times the odds seem stacked higher against them from a very young age.
“At school there is still no information about what opportunities are available. Especially in the case for girls, there is no support, in relation to that of what boys receive. It is also very important to note that there is little to no coverage of women’s games by the media,” Ms Maroufidi said.
This is not to say however that sport and athleticism is not appealing to young girls, but there are not many avenues to keep to the fire going.
“I was 14 years old when I first came in contact with rugby. To be precise, my friends and I played in the neighbourhood without the guidance of an expert, simply following rules similar to those of the sport…. I hope that in the coming years, gender will not be a factor influencing opportunities in this area, but will be equal for everyone at every level,” Ms Lymperidi said.
Perhaps rugby could be the sport to uplift women in the Greek athletic sphere and create greater strides in giving women greater visibility.
“Rugby is not popular in Greece, however there are several teams if one wants to try, teams that do important work for the development of the sport,” Ms Koutsikou explained.
While there is still a long way to go, their current achievements of making it to the Greek National team should not be overlooked.
The young women continue sharing their enthusiasm, talent and encouragement with other lovers of sport. In due time they hope to make their own strides in the world of rugby, both overseas and at home.