News
Emma Graham named Blues Women captain
Bedford Blues are delighted to announce that Emma Graham has been announced as captain for Blues Women ahead of an exciting 2022/23 NC2 Midlands (Central) Division campaign which starts in just three weeks’ time.
The perennial try scorer, who was named as the inaugural recipient of the highly coveted Players’ Player of the Year award last season, led the side for most of last season but will now take on the role permanently for the upcoming season.
A stellar role model, Graham was recently announced as our latest Blues Foundation Ambassador and shares the same ethos as our charitable arm, demonstrated through her work as an Educational Facilitator at SSG Education & Training.
Graham made history as the first player to score points for the team in their first ever competitive match 12 months ago, setting the tone for an incredible debut campaign which saw the side win the NC3 Midlands (Central) Division title, going unbeaten in the process.
The heroic last line of defence from full-back, Bedford Blues Women only conceded five points in league competition, with Graham playing a strong part in that defensive resistance.
Across the 2021/22 campaign, Graham scored a try in all but one game.
On being officially announced as captain, Graham said: “It’s an absolute pleasure to be chosen as captain for our second season, and first in NC2. I’m so excited to lead the team into this new campaign, we’ve been working so hard during pre-season to prepare ourselves.
“The pleasing thing is that we are continuing to see an increase in women coming to training which really echoes the standard of coaching we are receiving, but also the effort that is going in from the squad.
“I am so proud to be a part of a team who drive the ethos of wanting to promote others participating in women’s rugby and I hope that I can inspire someone to join the team by being a role model on and off the pitch.”
As part of the announcement, prop Lauren Mason has been appointed vice-captain, and is another to have been an ever present with the side since its formation in June 2020.
Mason added: “I’m really looking forward to this season, and it’s an honour to be named vice captain and leading the pack. The team have smashed it throughout pre-season, and we’ve really stepped it up a level as a group.
“The coaching from Darryl [Veenendaal] and Frosty [Peter Frost] has been excellent and has brought another dimension to our game. I can’t wait to see what NC2 brings.”
Your next opportunity to see Graham lead out the side is this afternoon as Bedford Blues Women head to Stockwood Park in their first pre-season friendly of the new campaign. Alternatively, the league campaign is just three weeks away!
Click here for the full fixture list and stay tuned for an exciting announcement on which matches will be staged at Goldington Road throughout the 2022/23 campaign.
