Military's finest ready for battle

THE win we had in 2019 is the highlight of my career." When a 72-cap, Premiership-winning face of the national women's game-not to mention a scorer of a Rugby World Cup final hat-trick - says a comment like this it is worth listening to.

Because in those 12 words England and Leicester Tigers hooker Amy Cokayne has summed up just what it means for the rugby players of the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force to pull on their respective colours and compete for the Inter Service Championship.

Now 27 years old, Cokayne has been as synonymous with Forces rugby as with England since she completed her RAF training five years ago, and last week at Twickenham was alongside several teammates and competitors as the 2024 Inter Service Championship was launched.

Launched in 1920, when the newly-formed RAF joined the Royal Navy and British Army in a threeway competition to find out who was the best rugby team among the UK Armed Forces, the Inter Service Championship has only been interrupted by World War II and the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We are extremely proud of the history the Inter Service Championship has," says Captain Sarah Oakley (Royal Navy), Chair of the Inter Service Championship and Army Navy Match committees.

"The standard of the rugby is always extremely competitive, and over the years some fantastic international players have taken part, the likes of Tim Rodber, Rory Underwood and Rob Wainwright, along with Mattie Stewart and Paul Hull, who both joined us at Twickenham last week.

"While rugby has changed immeasurably in the professional era, the sport remains important within the military, and we are fortunate to have the support of the three Services as well as the Ministry of Defence.

This has enabled us to still be able to provide players like Semesa Rokoduguni and Sam Matavesi, Amy Cokayne and Bethan Dainton, with the opportunity to pursue professional careers alongside their military commitments." The support received in recent years by this quartet and others is nothing new, as Paul Hull, who won all of his England caps while still a physical training instructor in the RAF, acknowledges.