Sports: Rugby League, Hockey - Emily Jones

• Year: Second
• Subject: Biochemistry
• Sport: Rugby League, Hockey
• Position: Wing in Rugby League; Goalkeeper in Hockey

Details of your sporting career at Merton and Oxford
Rugby League: I worked with the captain to help re-establish women’s Rugby League at Oxford, competing in the first team, a member of the OURLFC committee 2022/23 as female welfare rep working with both the committee and the entire club.

Hockey - Competed for the Women's 3s, but also played for Women's 2s and 4s, played (and won) 2 varsity matches against Cambridge in the 2021/22 season. Member of the OUHC committee 2022/23 as female welfare rep working with both the committee and the entire club (which consists of eight teams and additional members). Additionally, have the role and responsibility of captain of the Oxford University mixed team for the Summer League. Have played both mixed and women's college cuppers and will be captain of the Merton/Mansfield College Hockey team for 2022-23.

Netball - Active and valued member of the Merton College Netball team in position of GS, also being asked to umpire other college cuppers matches.

Rounders - Member of Merton College Rounders team.

Football - Member of Merton College Football team.

What got you started in your sport?
Rugby League - Having grown up with an interest in Rugby Union, I learned of the captain trying to promote and encourage a return of the women’s team for Rugby League. I was instantly drawn in, not just for the opportunity to finally learn the sport but also as a chance to try encouraging other women to become involved and fight the bias of what is traditionally seen as a male-dominated sport.

Hockey - I started playing Hockey at primary school but became interested in being a goalkeeper thanks to Mr Cook, my coach when I was 11. He taught me the basics, and I will never forget how loudly he cheered when I saved my first-ever penalty stroke at a school tournament. Since then, I have gone on to play for various school teams and clubs. My love for the sport and the position was intensified following the 2016 Rio Olympics, staying up until 2:00am to watch the GB women’s team go on to win, which was largely due to the strength and resilience of their keeper – Maddie Hinch. I have since gone on to be coached by Maddie herself.

How do you manage to stay competitive in your chosen sport while maintaining the level of academic work required?
I find sport an excellent stress relief from work, and in particular the stresses that can come from the Oxford lifestyle. Especially being a part of a team and having the team environment to fall back on. People in both my team in Rugby League, and my Hockey team have now become some of my closest friends at Oxford, meaning I not only have a safe space for when I need to destress from work, but I also actively look forward to every training and match to see these people and therefore have a drive to get my work done to make it to the sessions.

What’s special about the sporting side of life at Merton?
Merton has amazing sports facilities, and we are very lucky for the central location of the majority of these facilities. As well, there is a real drive for college sports, allowing for events such as the sports day with Cambridge, and the annual Merton/Mansfield sports day. There is also a good number of Merton students that play University-level sports, which allows a really positive atmosphere towards sporting life and Merton life.

Who is your sporting hero?
Maddie Hinch. Not just an absolute inspiration in the world of Hockey (and female goalkeeping within Hockey) but also a general sporting inspiration. Having first become aware of her during the 2016 Rio Olympics, her spirit, determination, and enthusiasm as well as her support for every single member of her team has continued to inspire me through every match, every sport, and every commitment.

What’s been your greatest moment on the field of play so far?
Honestly there have been so many incredible moments for different reasons, from matches where I have felt I could not have played any better than I did, to finally seeing my team come together and work together for the first time. But two moments that still mean so much to me and are so special to me are: winning two varsity Hockey matches against Cambridge with friends that are so important to me, and knowing how happy I was with my performance and a save I made that caused the crowds to cheer my name; and winning against Loughborough 30-0 in Rugby League, knowing that I made a tackle as last line of defence to prevent them scoring a try and getting any points on the scoreboard.

…the worst...?
With any sport comes plenty of highs and even more lows… one particularly tough match for me was against Nottingham University, we were playing three players down after having driven for almost four hours, and ultimately everything was against us. The final score was 14-0, which as a goalie was particularly tough.

...and the funniest?
There are plenty of funny moments; one was when I ran off the pitch to go and grab the ball but my helmet got caught in the netting of a football goal on the sideline, I couldn’t disentangle myself, and the entire match had to be stopped until I could get myself free…

Finally, what word, phrase or mental picture do you use to get yourself through the tough times in your sport?
I take a deep breath, remember everyone on my team and how much they all mean to me and how much I mean to them, forget everything that has happened up to that point, and start again.