It’s one thing for your coach to tell your team that you’ve got a great bond and fantastic teamwork… but imagine being told that by England Head Coach Eddie Jones.

Believe it or not, that actually happened!

Over the Jubilee weekend, Hull Ionians Women travelled to the first ever Tuilagi Sports and Rugby Festival, hosted by former Samoan winger Freddie Tuilagi.

Held on the outskirts on Norton Disney, Lincolnshire, it’s clear the impressive site is going to become the thing of legend over the coming years, with enough potential to rival both Bournemouth and Chester 7’s.

‘It was obvious from the second we arrived that this festival was going to be something amazing’ says Soph Wardman. ‘Everything from the pitches, the main tent, the bars, the stalls, the evening entertainment, right down to the toilets had been really well thought out’.

During the weekend-long Tuilagi extravaganza, Hull Ionians Women were given the once in a lifetime opportunity to take part in a private coaching session with Eddie Jones and Manu Tuilagi.

The session comprised mainly of touch rugby, broken down by coaching suggestions and ideas from Eddie himself.

He was full of praise for the 24 strong squad, commenting ‘you’ve been coached well’ (much to the delight of Coach Andy ‘Fuzz’ Turner) and that the team have a great attitude.
Eddie, who was joined by current England centre Manu for the 40 minute session, then happily posed for photographs and gave out autographs, before wishing the team well for next season.

On speaking about the session Athina Kouris said “Our session with Eddie and Manu was everything we could have dreamed of and more - their genuine enthusiasm and investment in us as a team while coaching us was something I'll remember for the rest of my life”

Reflecting on the festival as a whole, there’s no doubt Freddie Tuilagi knows how to throw a party! With live music from The RPJ band and The Baltic Donkeys, alongside DJ sets from James Haskell and The Dub Pistols, the weekend was a blur of famous faces, rugby and falling on the floor every time someone shouted ‘Andy’s coming!’.

Over the 4 day weekend, Hull Ionians Women were also delighted to have had a private audience with Sarah Hunter, England Red Roses Captain, who joined the Q&A lineup on Saturday alongside Leicester Tigers legend Leon Lloyd and Sniper Commander Richard French.

The Tuilagi Sports and Rugby festival will return 30th June - 2nd July 2023.

Want to get involved?
Preseason training with Hull Ionians Women starts Tuesday 5th July at 7pm
18+, no experience necessary

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Emily Wheal
Hull Ionians Women’s Chair