Dare’s back in Devon and raring to go
One of Chiefs Women’s newest back-rows will return to her old stomping ground when Zoe Dare travels to Hartpury Stadium this weekend for the next round of the PWR Cup.
The former Cardiff University rugby captain was lured to Hartpury University to study a master’s degree in sports management. While she may have honed her craft in Cardiff and Gloucestershire, her rugby roots are very much local.
The 22-year-old said: “I started playing rugby when I was in year 10 at Cullompton, so not too far. Then I played for Devon in the U15s and U18s, and then I moved to Cardiff Uni. I did three years and in my final year I captained the side when we were promoted into BUCS Super Rugby.
“I think that's when I started pushing for performance, had some great coaches and S&C staff who really pushed me into it and then Fordy (head coach Andrew Ford) from Hartpury got in touch with me and said we'd love you to come down for a master’s and I just felt like it was the right time to really throw myself into being in a professional environment.”
Shortly after joining the Hartpury fold, Dare came up against her now new team in the PWR Up series at the start of last season. She then concentrated on the BUCS Super Rugby fixtures before making her decision to move closer to home.
“It came to April time and I was trying to decide where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do. Then I had the opportunity to come back home down to Devon be with my family. It's a beautiful part of the world.”
Dare has not entirely moved home! She is sharing a house in Exeter with fellow former Hartpury student Lola Whitley, along with University of Exeter graduates Naomi Brennan and Alessia Skeates. Together, they have survived pre-season and begun this season PWR Cup campaign.
Dare continued: “I've absolutely loved preseason. It's been really intense, but I feel like I've learned so much. I feel I've developed so much as a player already. The environment is amazing, and I keep going on about that to people when they ask. I say how nice the girls are, and the coaching staff are brilliant, so I'd say I've had a brilliant time so far.”
Dare got a brief break from the Chiefs regime when she, and the rest of her household, were called up to represent the reinstated England Students where re she was reunited with Ford, but also got to spend time under the tutelage of assistant coach Poppy Leitch, who leads Chiefs Women’s U23s programme. The Exeter contingent made up a third of the England Students squad that beat the UK Armed Forces team 74-22 with Dare scoring one of their 12 tries.
“We didn't know what it [England Students’ rugby] was going into it because it's new for the first time in 20 years, but the staff and all the coaches and the girls, again, created a brilliant environment where we really felt that we could just play and enjoy it.
“To go and play with girls who I've played against for so long is crazy. To then come together that well and link up was amazing. It's such an opportunity to pull on an England rose ever and that was my first time so. It'll be something I remember forever. I'm really, really grateful for the opportunity.”
Dare made her first appearance for Exeter Chiefs in last weekend’s PWR Cup game against Harlequins. She will be hoping she has done enough for selection for this weekend’s game against Gloucester-Hartpury and, looking further ahead, Chiefs Women’s first home game against Trailfinders. Tickets are available here.
In summary, Dare is looking for any opportunity to play!
She said: “I am just looking forward to learning off all the amazing players and coaches down here and I would love to get some more game time in the PWR. So any opportunity, I'm just going to take with both hands and just be really involved with the team environment.”