'Hard work starts now' says Appleby
By Mark Stevens
7/4/20
Susie Appleby insists the ‘hard work starts here’ after it was confirmed on Monday that the newly-formed Exeter Chiefs Women’s side have been included in the Tyrrells Premier 15s from next season.
After months and months of detailed work behind the scenes, the Chiefs can now press ahead with all of their plans to get themselves up and running for their first-ever crack at life in the top league of the women’s game.
For Head Coach Appleby and her assistant, Amy Garnett, the announcement brings not only a great deal of relief, but an opportunity for them to build on the foundations they have laid since the start of the year when it was confirmed they would form the club’s new coaching team.
“As much as the news is brilliant, it’s also brings a fair bit of relief, having moved my whole life to Exeter and really going for something that was unknown,” said Appleby, who swapped life at rivals Gloucester-Hartpury to take up the new role.
"I'd moved the whole family, but we did it because Exeter Chiefs is a fantastic club and over the last six months since I've been there, they've shown that and that they mean business. They dared to dream, but Tony [Rowe] was very confident and put all the staff in place pretty quickly.
"They hired myself and Amy full-time and put in an S&C coach and physio full-time, even though we had no guarantee that we were going to get in the league. Nothing was done half-hearted, but that was what was needed and I think that is what shown through in our application and our presentation to the Rugby Football Union.”
Alongside Sale Sharks, the Chiefs are the new kids on the block in terms of the 10-team division, which saw Richmond and Waterloo bow out from this season’s competition.
Appleby admitted the application process has been ‘brutal’ - but acknowledged it was needed to ensure that all the necessary boxes were ticked to ensure the women’s game would continue to prosper.
"We planned for the last six months really carefully to deliver to the RFU how exactly we can grow the game in the south-west, because that's effectively what it's about,” said Appleby. "It's about producing players for the top international level but equally as importantly, developing the game down in Devon and Cornwall.
"Fortunately the RFU agree with how we're going to do it, believe that we can do it and that's what we're going to do."
As she rightly points out, though, the hard work begins now.
“Yes, there is real excitement about everything, but the reality is also that now we have to move fast,” added Appleby. “The hard work starts now because we need to secure a competitive squad. We’ve had conversations with people who have approached us, and we’ve approached others as well. Until this week, we couldn’t really move those conversations on, but now we can and it’s going to be a busy period for us.
“Obviously, the current crisis will make things tougher - already the Olympics has been put back, so that’s put a bit of a spanner in the works for me - but we’ve got a basic outline of a programme and what we want to do and that’s what we will work with.
“There is lots to be done, we know that, but we have taken some steps already and now, when the opportunity allows us, we will effectively kick into overdrive. It’s a new experience for all of us, including myself. I’ve never been in a situation like this before at any other clubs, but this is what makes it exciting.
“Getting ourselves ready, using the pre-season as best we can, that’s key for us at this stage. We know teams like Saracens and Harlequins will be the strong teams, as they have been for the last few years, but that’s where we want to get to. We’re aware things don’t happen overnight, even if you have the best players. These things take time and a lot of hard work to bed in, but we’re excited for what lies ahead.”