From her footballing background to her future coaching ambitions
Who is Elinor Snowsill: Ten things you should know about the Wales fly-half
One of Wales’ first female pros, fly-half Elinor Snowsill is known for her kicking game and attacking mindset.
Ten things you should know about Elinor Snowsill
1. Elinor Snowsill was born on 27 June 1989 in Ascot, England. She stands at 5ft 4in (1.66m) and 9st 8lb (62kg).
2. She plays her club rugby for Bristol Bears in the Allianz Premier 15s.
3. Snowsill played for Wales’ age-grade teams before making her Test debut in 2009 against Sweden. She won her 50th cap against Italy in 2019.
4. She was born in England to an English father and Welsh mother, and the family moved to Wales when she was seven.
5. In 2019 Snowsill played for the Barbarians invitational team against the USA.
6. Snowsill has spoken about how inclusive rugby is, celebrating different body types, skill-sets and personalities. She also thinks it needs to be more female-focused in terms of training techniques, sports science and so on.
“The next step is realising we’re not mini men, we’re women,” she told Rugby World in 2020. “It’s an exciting time to be part of sport and looking at what works for women rather than just replicating what men do.”
7. As a child she played football and was invited to a Wales U19 camp.
8. Snowsill would like to be an elite coach when she retires – she is doing her WRU coaching badges – and has spoken of the importance of having female coaches at a high level.
“It’s an opportunity for retired players to help inspire the next generation,” she said in 2020. “There was only one female in the (Women’s) Six Nations coaching teams. It shows how much we need to push our recruitment on.”
9. She contemplated retiring from international rugby after Wales lost every match of the 2021 Six Nations. Then in January 2022 she was among the first 12 Wales Women players to be given professional contracts.
10. Snowsill has a degree in psychology and has worked for the School of Hard Knocks charity.
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