Bristol medic has her first chance to prove she can be the ideal understudy to Tatyana Heard when she makes her England debut on Sunday
The exploits of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who surged into the England reckoning as a student, have made it a notable year for rugby-playing medics. Having done things a different way around, Phoebe Murray is continuing the trend.
A Red Roses debut awaits against the USA on Sunday in Vancouver for the Bristol Bears centre, who is also a junior doctor at Royal United Hospitals, Bath. And, like Feyi-Waboso, who has juggled exams with a remarkable emergence, Murray has needed to multi-task.
“There have been times when it is a little bit tough,” says the 25-year-old, stressing how “very supportive” colleagues have been willing to switch work patterns to help her fit in training and matches.
“Last year I played against Loughborough Lightning in Premiership Women’s Rugby and went into two night shifts on the trot. I played a Saturday game, drove from Northampton to Bath, did a night shift, slept in the day on Sunday and then did another night shift. I didn’t train that Monday! That week was quite difficult.”
On other occasions, Murray has played at the weekend following night shifts on Wednesdays or Thursdays. “I did that before Exeter at home, I think,” she remembers. “I dropped two balls in the first five minutes. Fortunately, I managed to bin those off and played OK.”
???? Medical student???? Rugby player???? Placement with #BristolBears There's plenty going on in the life of @phoebemurray99 as she combines medical studies, with duties on and off the field at the High Performance Centre ???? pic.twitter/5xylKmPnZu
A strong domestic campaign for Bristol, who reached the final against eventual champions Gloucester-Hartpury, forced Murray into England’s midfield mix for WXV.
John Mitchell revealed her selection privately a week before the squad was confirmed internally on a WhatsApp group. This was to give Murray – who is not contracted by the Rugby Football Union – extra time to organise her work commitments.
“I didn’t believe it fully until the squad was put on the WhatsApp group on Tuesday,” Murray adds. “I was thinking: ‘Don’t jinx it, don’t look at the weather in Vancouver, don’t tell anyone, keep it to yourself.’ He Mitchell told me very calmly, but inside I was going: ‘Oh my God, oh my God.’ It was amazing, so cool.”
Murray is planning on giving her first shirt to her parents, Mark and Clare, and has reflected recently on the numerous car trips that decorated her junior career. She took up the sport at Trojans RFC in Southampton and played with boys until the age of 12 before moving to the girls’ section at Ellingham and Ringwood RFC half an hour away.
Later, before she could drive herself, Murray was faced with a “commute” of around 100 miles between Southampton and Bristol. Mark and Clare stepped up. “They’ve spent hours and hours driving in the car,” Murray says. “And for my brothers, Ollie and Henry, they didn’t have my parents around as much because of that, or they’ve had to balance their things around me.”
Though she has been regarded primarily as an outside centre with Bristol under the stewardship of head coach Dave Ward, Murray has been identified as a potential understudy to Tatyana Heard at 12. That has meant a focus on punching holes as well as distributing.
“What Mitch wants from me as a 12 is exactly what Tat is, and she’s been amazing for me in training,” Murray explains. “She’s so supportive and I just look at her as a role model. The strengths that she has, I want to get towards. She’s made that 12 shirt her own, doing fantastically in it. That’s something I aspire to. The more time I can spend with her, the better.
“Internationally, the toll on your body is a lot more. The hits are harder, it’s harder work for your engine. I’ve definitely had to make that step up. The contact we do at Bears has prepared me really well, so it’s not something I shy away from, especially as my focus is that gain-line. I’ve had to be stronger in the carry, to hold my feet and drive through contact.
34@BristolBearsW's Phoebe Murray made 13 line breaks and recorded a further 21 line break assists in @ThePWR last season, her tally of 34 line break involvements was the joint most of any player, alongside teammate Holly Aitchison. Central. pic.twitter/cGm8tiQNCV
“Typically at Bristol, at 13, I’ve been looking for space more. But, actually, if I can add another string to my bow, I can get through space and also where there is not much space. I’ve really enjoyed that I have had a taste of both in this environment, because if an opportunity came up at 13, I would want to be able to play at 13.”
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