Rugby World Cup 2021 - Symbol
Sign up for the latest news and ticket information.
Sign Up
rugbyworldcup.com
World Rugby
Website language English
  • English
  • Français
  • Español
  • 日本語
Rugby World Cup 2021 - Symbol Rugby World Cup 2021 - Symbol Rugby World Cup 2021 - Logo
Listen Live
  • Teams
  • Video
  • News
  • Media
  • Teams
  • Video
  • News
  • Draw
  • Tickets
  • Visit
  • Venues
  • Qualifiers
  • Volunteer
  • HOSPITALITY
  • Media
  • Women In Rugby
  • Back to Rugby World Cup
  • Back to World.Rugby
Website language English
  • English
  • Français
  • Español
  • 日本語
  • Visit
  • Venues
  • Qualifiers
  • Volunteer
  • HOSPITALITY
  • Media
  • Women In Rugby
  • Back to Rugby World Cup
  • Back to World.Rugby

Our Social Channels

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
Latest News
Rugby World Cup 2021 Draw

RWC 2021

Wed 16 December, 2020

New Zealand confirm Rugby World Cup 2021 coaching intern

World Rugby and New Zealand Rugby today announced that New Zealand Barbarians assistant coach Whitney Hansen will join the Black Ferns management team as their selected Rugby World Cup 2021 coach intern.
Nicki Nicol

Women in Rugby

Fri 11 December, 2020

Resilient Nicki Nicol helping New Zealand Rugby rebuild from COVID-19

World Rugby Women’s Executive Leadership Scholarship recipient is playing a key role in the efforts to limit the impact of the pandemic on the game in New Zealand.
Ireland v Australia - Women's Rugby World Cup 2017

RWC 2021

Thu 10 December, 2020

Sophie Spence keen to learn and improve through RWC 2021 Coaching Internship Programme

The former Ireland international talks to World Rugby about joining the Wales coaching staff on the road to New Zealand 2021.
Sophie Spence

RWC 2021

Wed 9 December, 2020

Wales Women confirm Rugby World Cup 2021 coaching intern

World Rugby and the Welsh Rugby Union today announced that former Ireland international Sophie Spence will join the Wales Women management team as their selected Rugby World Cup 2021 coach intern.
Rugby - 2019 Rugby Africa Womens Cup - South Africa v Kenya - Bosman Stadium - Brakpan - South Africa

Rugby World Cup

Thu 3 December, 2020

Zenay Jordaan “proud” of South Africa career as she looks ahead to Rugby World Cup 2021

The Springbok Women fly-half talks to World Rugby about her 11-year international career, which could stretch to a sixth Rugby World Cup appearance in 2021.
Latest Videos
WR awards thumb
1:36:38 mins

Awards

Mon 7 December, 2020

World Rugby Awards Special Edition - watch the whole show

Re-live the World Rugby Awards Special Edition and find out the winners of the Player, Try and Team of the Decade 2010-19 for both men and women, plus celebrate rugby's heroes of COVID-19.
Full Draw ceremony for Rugby World Cup 2021
27:21 mins

RWC 2021

Thu 19 November, 2020

Full Draw ceremony for Rugby World Cup 2021

Live show hosts and interviewers react post-draw
01:20 mins

Thu 19 November, 2020

Live show hosts and interviewers react post-draw

Live programme hosts Elma Smit and Ugo Monye spoke with New Zealand broadcasters and co-hosts Karl Tenana and Rikki Swannell after the draw.
Alycia Washington USA post-draw interview
03:04 mins

Thu 19 November, 2020

Alycia Washington USA post-draw interview

Kendra Cocksedge NZL Post-draw interview
03:12 mins

Thu 19 November, 2020

Kendra Cocksedge NZL Post-draw interview

RWC 2021
Thursday 10 December, 2020

Sophie Spence keen to learn and improve through RWC 2021 Coaching Internship Programme

Presented By
The former Ireland international talks to World Rugby about joining the Wales coaching staff on the road to New Zealand 2021.
  • label.share.via_facebook_messenger
  • label.share.via_whatsapp
  • label.share.via_facebook
  • label.share.via_twitter
  • label.share.via_copy
    URL Copied

When Sophie Spence compiled a coaching career plan in August, she did not envisage Rugby World Cup being on her horizon.

Spence’s immediate target was to enrol on a Level 3 coaching course with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and to continue honing her skills with men’s National League Division 1 West club, Penclawdd.

As former Ireland international Spence is becoming increasingly aware, however, life is full of unexpected twists and turns. 

At the end of November, she welcomed Warren Abrahams and Rachel Taylor to the coffee shop she opened in Gowerton after relocating to south Wales with her wife, Anwen.

This week it was announced she would join the Wales coaching staff as part of the Rugby World Cup 20021 Coaching Internship Programme.

“I’m a little bit in shock,” Spence admitted to World Rugby.

“I didn't think that I would be in this position now. You know, it's fantastic and I’m just really looking forward to being involved from the word go and learning as much as possible.”

Spence has been working with the forwards at Penclawdd, and identifies the breakdown as a particular strength, but is keen to broaden her coaching horizons with Wales.

“[Abrahams] said he wants me to be involved as much as possible. I'm not there to stand and shadow, he wants me to get involved,” she added. 

“With Warren as head coach, and Tayls (Taylor) as skills coach, it'll be wherever I can use my strengths to be involved. And, however we work as a unit on the pitch and off the pitch, where I can add value to the team.”

Shared history

Last month’s meeting at Y Shed was the first time that Spence had met Abrahams, however, she has a longer association with Taylor.

The 33-year-old played Wales eight times during the course of her 40-cap Ireland career, with Taylor lining up in the opposition pack for seven of those matches.

Coincidentally, the last of those meetings was also the final time each woman represented her respective country. Taylor played the full 80 minutes at Kingspan Stadium, while

Spence came on in the second half, as Wales won the Rugby World Cup 2017 seventh-place play-off 27-17.

Defeat was a crushing blow for Spence and Ireland as it meant the hosts missed out on direct qualification for RWC 2021, despite a bright start to their home tournament. Three years on, though, a silver lining to the result emerged for Spence in the form of the internship.

“It's funny, me and my wife were talking the other day, she said it's fate,” Spence said.

“Obviously, Wales beat us in the last World Cup and if they hadn't done that… would this opportunity have come about if Wales were still hunting for a World Cup spot? 

“Coming over to Wales, it took me a little bit of time to get back into coaching. I've been lucky to work with Penclawdd men and challenge myself in different areas and get on the Level 3 this year. 

“I think things take time, really, to get your name out there and to open new doors. And, I feel very lucky that I've managed to get this opportunity and been selected to be involved. 

“I feel really lucky and I'm really excited to be involved and give back to the women's game, it’s something that's given me a lot of joy and passion.”

‘A magical sport’

Ireland's Sophie Spence makes a break during the Rugby World Cup 2017 match against Japan on 13 August, 2017 in Dublin. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Following the end of their international careers, Spence and Taylor had the opportunity to line up on the same side, when the Women’s Barbarians beat a British Army XV 37-0 in March 2018.

The pair were selected as room-mates and were able to get to know each other better, chatting about coaching and coffee, while Spence asked Taylor’s advice on her proposed move to Wales.

“I think we've got the same kind of vision,” Spence said about the pair’s coaching outlook. 

“We've been involved in an international set-up. I suppose you want to pass on the knowledge that you've gained from other people, and to improve the game even further as well.”

It has been a long and winding journey that has taken Spence from Teesside University, where she first picked up an oval ball, to the Welsh coaching set-up.

Spence was 21, and had never watched a rugby match, when she was convinced to give the game a go. She soon found she possessed some talent and a desire to learn and improve helped her progress via Darlington and DMP Sharks to Old Belvedere, Leinster and full Ireland honours.

“I'm a person who just loves to learn and I'm kind of like a sponge. I just want to know as much as possible and to learn,” she said.

“You would walk into a room and you would never think that you would meet these people in your life [or] be in the same friendship circles. It’s a sport that brings everyone together through the game. 

“It’s kind of a magical sport to me, really. I'm just sad that I never picked it up earlier.”

READ MORE: “TG4 have set the benchmark — it’s up to everyone else to follow suit” >>

Rugby World Cup 2021 - Logo

Teams

Video

News

Volunteer

Tickets

  • Rugby World Cup Limited © 2007 - 2021. All Rights Reserved.
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Cookies Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Rugby World Cup
  • World Rugby Media Zone

Managing Cookies on the Rugby World Cup 2021 website

We use cookies to help make our sites function properly. We would also like to use cookies to continually improve our sites, offer you a better experience and deliver personalised content to you. Our use of cookies is described further in our Cookies Policy.

You can enable all optional cookies by clicking “Accept All Cookies”. You can also choose to adjust your cookie settings and select to have only necessary cookies and the cookies you wish to be deployed to be used.

Using this tool will set a cookie on your device to remember your preferences.

Necessary Cookies

Necessary cookies enable basic functionality on our sites such as page navigation, access to secure areas, authenticating logins, and the delivery of other core functions. This category of cookies cannot be disabled on our sites. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of these sites will not then work.

Cookie Consent: Analytics

We would like to use Analytics cookies provided by Google to help us to improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it. The cookies collect information in a way that does not directly identify anyone. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited these sites and will not be able to monitor their performance.

Cookie Consent: Advertising

We would also like to use advertising cookies, which collect information, and combine it with previously collected information, to select and deliver advertisements for you, and to measure the delivery and effectiveness of such advertisements. This includes using previously collected information about your interests to select ads, processing data about what advertisements were shown, how often they were shown, when and where they were shown, and whether you took any action related to the advertisement, including for example clicking an ad. These cookies may be on-site cookies or third party cookies.