World Cup winner McGilchrist loving life at Odsal

Joanna McGilchrist can.

The former London Wasps forward came on board at the Bulls 12 months ago to work with the Under-19s and first-team.

She has recently completed a masters in sports rehabilitation and is loving life at Odsal.

Yet it is fair to say that McGilchrist was a novice to league when she first arrived, fresh from helping the England women’s union side to World Cup glory in Paris.

“I went to Glenalmond College, a boarding school in Scotland with a big rugby union playing tradition,” the 32-year-old explained.

“We used to go to Murrayfield all the time, it was great, and my dad and brother played the game too.

“Although I didn’t start playing myself until I was in my twenties, I knew all the rules and that made it easier.

“After studying, training and working as a physiotherapist in London, I moved up to Manchester do a masters last year.

“I then came to the Bulls for a part-time job and it has ended up being a very full-time role!

“Has it been arduous? I want to say yes, but it hasn’t really.

“When you have played rugby, it’s totally normal to go to your club but I just have a different role now.

“I’m a physio and not a player any more. It feels like I’ve just been doing what I’ve always done anyway.”

McGilchrist is a popular member of the Bulls’ backroom team and her role has taken on added importance following the end-of-season departure of Dan Ramsden to Hull KR.

She has no problems holding her own in a male-dominated environment, saying: “We’ve got a brilliant bunch of lads, we really have, and I’m like their big sister!

“It would be nice to work with one team a little bit more in-depth as opposed to two teams spread across more players, but I will be focusing mainly on the first-team this year.

“Gamedays are an awesome buzz, but by the time the matches comes around, our work is done and the players have to go out and perform.

“It’s about managing any knocks the players have and helping to optimise their performance. I have absolutely loved it here, right from the off.

“In fact, I can’t get enough of rugby league or union… it doesn’t seem like there are enough hours in the day.”

McGilchrist, who stands 5ft 11in and played lock, became a fixture in an England women’s side over an eight-year period.

She represented England in the 2010 World Cup and the 2014 World Cup, combining her playing commitments at Wasps and international duties with her job as a physio.

McGilchrist, who was a one-club player at Wasps and remains a supporter, said: “I got to travel as well as a rugby player, which was really cool, and it was always challenging.

“Women’s rugby is evolving all the time so, while you’re playing the same teams over that eight-year period, they are often very different every time you play them.”

She lists the highlights of her playing career as playing in the 2010 World Cup, where England lost 13-10 to New Zealand in the final.

Four years later, McGilchrist was on the winning side when England beat Canada 21-9 in Paris.

“I won Player of the Match in the 2010 World Cup semi-final against Australia at the Twickenham Stoop,” remembered McGilchrist.

“We won 15-0 and that was the first time we had played the Aussies.

“In the final itself, I tackled the IRB Player of the World and an image of it ended up being used as a cut-out in the Twickenham museum.

“She was a winger, the top try-scorer, and so as a second-row forward I was delighted to stop her.

“At the time, you don’t give your achievements too much thought because you’re a rugby player and that’s what you do. But when you look back on it, it’s pretty awesome.”

Ambitious McGilchrist could be forgiven for dreaming of working as a physio at the highest level of rugby union.

But her affiliation to Bradford is clear when she says: “I’d like to work in Super League with the Bulls.

“Clearly both codes can learn from each other and you want to take bits from both.

“I think you learn a lot from a culture that is very similar but in many ways also very different.

“The similarities are that it’s a team environment and you’ve got to be selfless and put the team first.

“I think success breeds expectation and you expect to win.

“When the Kiwis step on the field they expect to win and you need that mentality of expectancy and belief.

“Interestingly, a lot of the defence coaches in union come from league.

“You have to get over your losses pretty quickly. You analyse them, see where you went wrong, and you improve on them.

“There is no point dwelling on things – you’ve just got to move forward.

“I think it’s about creating a winning culture and having pride in what you do. We’ll see how we go this season.”