Grace Moore returns to Trailfinders after making her RWC debut this year and getting on the scoreboard against Spain

Irish international Grace Moore featured in every match during the Rugby World Cup 2025. She made her World Cup debut in Ireland’s match against Japan.

“I feel like every rugby player’s dream is to go to the Rugby World Cup,” Moore said. “Or make it to the Olympics if you’re a sevens player.

“It was such an honour and a huge privilege to get to play. It’s a dream that’s been achieved.

“There were points where it didn’t even feel real until we flew over after the training camp. Then it started to sink in.

“When we played in the quarter-final against France at Sandy Park, I was on the bench. I have played at Sandy Park many times in my career with the PWR and other matches. But until that match, I had never seen Sandy Park like that. It was really cool.

“We faced New Zealand in Brighton which is like a home a way from home for me because I went to university there. It felt like a full circle moment which was cool.

“During the anthems, it really hit me as to how far the women’s game has come. We’re getting the recognition we deserve. It was also great to see big brands getting involved with the World Cup and seeing all the tournament branding around the different cities.”

Not only did Moore play in every match for her country during the RWC, she also got on the scoresheet with two tries in Ireland’s match against Spain.

“The first one I score, I was just like, oh my God, because I’d ran that line a few times a bit further out in the pitch on other occasions, but that one, the ball from Claire Boles was a brilliant pass and I could just see the try-line right in front of me.

“I committed to carrying the ball. It was incredible. The celebrations after you’ve scored as a team is brilliant. It’s a team effort but it is nice to get on the end of a score sometimes.

“I didn’t expect to score the second try and it felt more casual than the first one. They’re great memories to have.”

Moore commented on the fantastic atmosphere throughout the World Cup, but placed particular emphasis on when the players were walking through to the stadium, surrounded by fans and their cheers.

“It was incredible to see the crowds outside of the stadiums as the players walked in. A lot of us have our headphones on during walk ins just generally as it’s part of the pre-match process. But a lot of us started taking them out just to absorb the atmosphere.

“There were people playing the drums, blasting music. There were all our family and friends supporting as well. It should be like that for every game – it’s the way forward.”

Ahead of the 2025/26, Trailfinders Women have signed several internationals. The strong recruitment this season has added to the already competitive environment at the Club.

“I think we’ve made some incredible signings,” Moore said.

“We have also retained quite a lot of players. I love the girls and the environment here; the team are incredible. And it does feel like a family environment, but at the same time, we are all pushing each other to get better. There is that real competitive edge, which is what you want, especially as an international as well.

“I’m only going to get better by learning from other internationals and the coaches as well. The standards are just being pushed up constantly and you want to be fighting for your jersey every week.

“I’m excited to be working with all of the girls. As a back row, I’m looking forward to working with Rachel Malcolm. To be learning from her and her leadership and skills that she has is just incredible. I think Fran McGhie and Meg Jones will be incredible to play with as well.

“I think we are going to be very dangerous this year. We were starting to touch the iceberg last year. This year will be even better.”

Outside of rugby, Grace is passionate about giving back. Not only is she an ambassador for the rugby mental health charity LooseHeadz, she is involved in guest speaking and coaching with the Mintridge Foundation.

“My work with Mintridge is more focussed on guest speaking, coaching, and public events. The organisation got in touch with me a couple of years ago and I absolutely love the work I do with them.

“It is a privilege to do those sorts of public events with Mintridge, whether it’s at a school or at a business.”

Moore makes sure to spend time away from work by reading, socialising with friends and family, and walking her dog.

“I do switch off a rugby. I have a dog, I love to walk and play with him. I like to watch a bit of rugby outside of playing, I can’t lie.

“I started getting into reading in the past year. I’m slowly easing myself into it. The Six Nations helped me with that as it’s nice to read when you’re travelling. It’s a positive distraction and eases my mind.

“I enjoy connecting with other people, meeting up with friends and family, and going for drinks with the girls or just doing some other activities. We’re quite the creative bunch.

“I was social secretary for Ireland and sometimes it’s hard trying to cater for what everyone wants to do. So it’s nice when other people organise the activity for you.”

Grace will be attending the welcome back event for Trailfinders’ Rugby World Cup Stars on Thursday 30 October. You can secure your tickets here.

 

 

Reuben Bird-Tulloch discusses his return to the field after a summer of rehab, playing in front of home supporters, and growing up as a Man United fan

Outside centre Bird-Tulloch returns to the field this weekend in Ealing Trailfinders’ Round Two fixture against Chinnor – our first game at Trailfinders Sports Club this Champ Rugby campaign.

After rehabilitating a knee injury from the back end of last season, Bird-Tulloch is looking forward to getting back onto the field in front of home supporters.

He offered his thoughts on the rehab process and how the physios at the Club supported him physically and mentally throughout his journey.

“The rehab process was pretty long. Unfortunately I got injured towards the end of last season. And for me dealing with that was quite a tough, because it was my first proper injury for a long time and the first one since I’ve been at Ealing. I’d say it’s probably the biggest bump in the road I’ve had since being at the Club.

“I had to deal with the injury but I decided to commit to the rehab and work really hard in the gym to get myself strong again. A big part of it was to get confident in my body again, with help from the physios as well as the strength and conditioning team.

“All the staff have been really good with me and they’ve really made the process as easy as possible. It can be quite tedious doing rehab. But the team have been really understanding: when to push, when to maybe pull back a little bit.

“I think we worked pretty well as a team and I’m delighted to be back fit and available to play again, because I haven’t played for five months.

“I always enjoy playing in front of our fans. It feels like home to me. Hopefully I can pick up from where I left off last season.”

Alongside him in gym during his rehab was Bobby de Wee. The two players could often be found having fun in the gym to offer more positivity to the rehab process.

“Me and Bobby always have a laugh together. He’s a character, to say the least. Rehab can be quite tedious, so I guess we both tried to find ways to make it as enjoyable as possible, whether that be having a karaoke session in the gym or a little dance just to make things as fun as they could be.

“We made a good little team in the gym and hopefully we’ll see him back playing soon as well.”

Bird-Tulloch commented on the diversity of players within the squad and how they have helped to elevate the overall standard of training.

“We have some younger guys who have brought a whole lot of energy, and others who have come from all over the country. You’ve got guys who have been playing in the Prem who have come to Ealing and they’ve obviously brought a lot of experience.

“I think the main thing for all the new guys is that they’ve all made a really positive contribution to the team on and off the field. And I think just in general they have made it more competitive and that’s always a good thing.

“We’ve got multiple players in every position who could all play really well if given the opportunity. I’m sure that makes the coaches lives difficult when they’re picking the team, but that’s a good thing, because it means that we’re all pushing each other, and no one’s getting complacent.

“All the new guys have settled in really well. I don’t really see them as new guys anymore, we just see them as part of the squad.”

Ealing Trailfinders have played Chinnor on three occasions, the most recent being in pre-season. Although Bird-Tulloch was still undertaking his rehab programme, he recalls the physicality they brought to the league last season.

“I didn’t play in the pre-season game because I was still rehabbing, but from playing them last year, they’re very physical. Probably one of the most physical teams I played against last year.

“They always bring a lot of line speed in defence and they try to make our attack as difficult as possible to play. I have a lot of respect for them, especially being a newly promoted side before last year. They did really well and held their own against everyone. I’m sure Saturday will be more of the same from them.

“For us, we’ll try and put our game on them as much as possible and not allow them to disrupt our ball and things like that. But they’ve got their own threats and hopefully on the weekend, we can deal with them.”

Outside of rugby, Bird-Tulloch keeps a close eye on football. Whilst the back line player grew up in south London, he’s an avid supporter of Premier League team Manchester United.

“I can’t say I’m from up north because I’m not. I’m from South London,” Bird-Tulloch said. “But my dad supported them. So when I was growing up, naturally, I just copied him.

“When I was younger, it was great because we were very successful. I got a bit spoilt when I was younger, because the recent years have been a lot leaner on the trophies, to say the least, since Fergie [Sir Alex Ferguson] retired. It’s been a tough few years.

“I never question my loyalty to United, but I do question why I put myself through the emotional roller coaster every week of getting up for the game, thinking they’re going to win, and then getting disappointed. But I’m hoping that we’re just having a a bit of a down period and our time will come again. That’s what I’m hoping for. And if it doesn’t, I’ll still support them, because I made my choice and you got to take the rough with the smooth.”

Ealing Trailfinders vs Chinnor May 2025

Whilst it’s other North West teams that have dominated the top spot in English football in recent years, Man United did defeat local rivals Manchester City 2-1 in the FA Cup final in May 2024. Bird-Tulloch recalls the day both United and Trailfinders lifted trophies.

“We were playing our last game of the season at the same time as that FA Cup final and I remember because we won the league that day and then I found out that Man U won the FA Cup, so that was one of the best days. I’m not sure if I was more happy about the FA Cup or the league, but that was a pretty good day.”

Having grown up in the south of the city, then lived in West London, Bird-Tulloch now finds himself in the south-west of the city.

“I live in Wandsworth now. A lot of my friends live around there. There’s a lot to do as it’s very vibrant place with a lot of young people.

“I lived in one of the player houses for a couple of years and then I moved to Fulham and then I moved to Wandsworth in the summer just gone. It’s a slightly longer commute, because I’m south of the river, but I’d say for my overall social life and the things I like to do outside of rugby it works better for me. So the longer commute is probably worth it.

“I’m pretty into food, so I like trying new restaurants on days off. I wouldn’t say I’m a foodie because that sounds a bit pretentious. But I like good food and I like experiencing that.

“And then aside from that, just seeing my friends, my family. I love watching the NFL as well as football.

“I know a lot of the boys here are massively into their golf and that’s actually something I was going to try and do in the summer, but obviously I had a knee surgery, so that stopped my plans from playing in the summer just gone. I’m hoping maybe I’ll start after the winter passes.

“Golf is probably a bit less stressful, but on the flip side, it sounds pretty frustrating for some people. Tobi Wilson is very much into it. It’s almost like his personality now. It’s just golf. But it’s all he ever talks about. From what I’ve been told, he’s a good player.

“I think it’s just a nice way for the boys to spend a bit of time with each other away from the club, which is one of the reasons why I wanted to get into it because I probably don’t see them as much as the others just because I don’t play golf and I don’t live in Ealing. For me starting golf is a way I could see some of the boys and get to know the guys a bit better.”

Irish international Grace Moore discusses her involvement with rugby mental health charity LooseHeadz and why she wants to give back

Friday 10 October is World Mental Health Day. The theme for 2025 – ‘Mental health in humanitarian emergencies’ – emphasises the need for readily available mental health support in times of crises.

This international day is for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma.

Irish international and Trailfinders Women forward Grace Moore discussed her own mental health journey and her involvement with LooseHeadz, rugby’s mental health charity.

“I’m a LooseHeadz ambassador,” Moore said. “I got into it because there was a time when I was struggling with my mental health.

“There was a time in my life where I was depressed, and I didn’t want to live anymore. I was really struggling.

“Rugby was basically my saving grace. If I didn’t have rugby, I don’t know where I’d be today.”

Moore commented on how the support network within rugby alongside her family and friends helped her during that time.

“Rugby really did help me get out of that dark hole, and my friends and family were a huge part of my journey.

“Rugby is an escape for me. It’s a safe place. Sure the highs in sports can be really high and the lows can be really low. It’s not always smooth sailing. My career has not been linear at all.

“There have been times where I did want to give up rugby, where I felt that was my option. But I’m a fire – I don’t give up, and I’ll keep coming back.

“I’m not anywhere near where I want to be in my career yet from a rugby perspective, so I feel like the only way for me is up and I just keep pushing towards that.

“I got involved with LooseHeadz because of my journey. I feel like mental health is such a huge thing and sometimes it’s overlooked. There used to not be enough support out there. There probably could still be a bit more support out there.”

Moore added that at Trailfinders Women, Kim Oliver has helped her and many of the other players with any mental health related questions or struggles.

“We have Kim at the Club. We can rely on her and the wider services she can offer us. She supports us through anything we might need. She’s great. I even reached out to her during the Rugby World Cup to talk.”

Kim Oliver, Assistant Coach at Trailfinders Women

“Kim is an amazing person. She also has huge experience in rugby as well from both a player and coaches’ perspective.

“I want to be like that and give back to the younger generation as well as people who are my age and beyond.

“A huge part of my why with rugby is to inspire others and to leave the jersey in a better place than I found it.”

If you or someone you know needs mental health support, click here.

For more information on LooseHeadz and the work they do, click here.

 

 

Spanish international Cris Blanco discusses surreal Rugby World Cup moments and returning to the Club for her third season.

As one of the inaugural players in the Trailfinders Women squad, Cristina Blanco returns to the Club after representing her country at the Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Blanco featured in every pool match in the RWC, made 44 tackles, and score two tries for Spain.

The hooker recalled the surreal feelings of representing Spain at the biggest event in world rugby.

I think every athlete will say that reaching the top tournament of your sport is already a favourite moment. But if I have to pick one, I’ll say just being on in the pitch in the first game. I knew it was going to be big and it’s been a very hard three last years to just get in there and being able to say to yourself like, oh, I’ve made it.

“Of course, it’s a team sport and I am here for the team and I love that this is a team sport, but also you’re an athlete and you do sometimes have to motivate yourself especially during times of injury. 

“So just being able to say, oh, I’m here and I made it.” 

Cristina Blanco scoring in Spain vs Japan RWC25

It’s a weird one because when you are there, you’re trying to make the most of it and you’re trying to enjoy it. You’re trying to like make the best hits, have the best training sessions, be the good teammate. But then it goes by so fast and it’s like, oh, it’s already gone. You have to ask yourself, have I enjoyed it? It is weird, such a surreal feeling and it goes by really quickly.” 

Blanco scored two tries in her three World Cup appearances for Spain. One of those tries was scored in the final minutes of the pool stage match against Ireland. She commented on the resilience of her nation and how those attributes are emulated at Trailfinders.

“If you see how Spain plays, the determination is something that is very consistent. We never stop playing. 

“In the New Zealand game, we scored in the final five minutes. In the Ireland game, we scored in the final minute. One of our tries was ruled as no try but we went again and we scored. We know it’s an 80 minute game so we’re not going to just play like 75 minutes because that’s not how we play and that’s not who we are. That’s something that we always try to keep in mind.

I think that resilient attitude is already in the Club but I think we can like still explore it a little bit more. We’ve had matches in the past where that full 80 minute performance can be improved or play didn’t unfold in the way we expected it to. There’s always room for progress and everyone in the Club is aware of that.”

 

Ahead of the 2025/26 season, Trailfinders have signed a wealth of internationals, including Rugby World Cup Winner Meg Jones, and two bronze medallists from the Black Ferns.

Trailfinders Women now boasts seventeen international players in the squad, adding to the depth of the Club. As one of the seventeen international stars at Trailfinders, Blanco discussed her thoughts on the new signings and the development of the squad since the inaugural season.

“I guess seeing the club develop and grow from zero to what we are now is quite impressive. I knew since the beginning it was like a four or five years project, so to say.

“But I think since the beginning we’ve been able to demonstrate what and who we are. We are still finding our feet of what culture we have, what values and everything.

“But it’s quite nice to be part of starting something new. I experienced at Wasps how the end of what it was to be a club, and I’m experiencing the beginning of another club. So it’s quite nice seeing both sides.” 

With the multitude of signings ahead of the 2025/26 season, Blanco praised the breadth of leaders in the squad, whether new signings or old faces at the club.

“I think we have loads of good leaders in here. I don’t see myself as a leader. I just like lead by example. I’m not a person that is going to be talking loads or a person that is going to be out there saying all their opinions and everything, because I do think we have like loads of knowledgeable players right now and really good leaders.” 

The final takeaways for Blanco from the RWC that she is bringing into the new club season is the importance of the team bond and the wider friendships within a squad that can determine success on and off the pitch.

“The team bond is sometimes more important than the team performance. We always try and do activities weekly.

I know it’s not the same because you’re not spending the whole time together, but we still like to spend a decent amount of time together.

I always find that the closer you are in the team, the better you perform. Not only because you get to know the squad outside rugby but you also get to know how a person reacts in different scenarios. So if you’re frustrated, I will know how to cheer you up. Or if you are mad, I will know how to bring you up.

“Knowing who a person is outside of rugby is equally as important as knowing who they are on the pitch.”

Inside centre Jordan Holgate talks through scoring tries and previews Bedford clash 

In last weekend’s outing against Hartpury, inside centre Holgate scored two tries in the final pre-season game.

He has cemented his place in the starting XV ahead of Trailfinders’ Round One clash against Bedford in the Champ.

“I’m not sure the tries that I scored were just my doing,” Holgate said on his double score at Hartpury.

“I think the boys put us on the front foot in that match. The forwards got us all the way down into the 22 and I was lucky enough to get on the end of a few nice moves, so I’ll take them as they come, and hopefully we can continue that going into the season with a tricky start against Bedford.”

Last season, Bedford came second in the league.

“I think Bedford’s known for the attacking styles of rugby over the last couple of years,” Holgate said.

“But especially last year, I think they narrowed it down and found their strengths and found their forward pack and came with more of a game plan and were more of a set piece dominant side and competed there most games, which showed the threat they are when they actually get those things working.

“We expect for them throw everything at us but we’ll be ready.”

Ealing Trailfinders vs Bedford at Trailfinders Sports Club, April 2025

This weekend, there are four debutants in Trailfinders colours: Conor Oliver as skipper, Kyle Hatherell, Rory Scannell, and Sam Edwards.

Holgate commented on the value the debutants will add to the matchday squad.

“I think they’ve been been hugely instrumental in our preseason. They are big leaders. They’ve come from from big clubs and have a lot of experience, especially with Conor, Rory, and Kyle coming from big teams.

“I’m excited to see how Sammy goes as well on the bench. So yeah, very excited to see how they go. They’ve been putting in the hard work for preseason.”

This weekend will be the Club’s first Saturday afternoon kick-off since starting the season. Holgate discussed his pre-game preparation ahead of the Saturday afternoon game.

“I think it’s about getting the morning right. You don’t want to peak too early. I think it’s quite tricky but we’ve got a great team around us to help us with managing that. With preseason, we had a lot of Friday night kickoffs, which leaves you the whole day to get prepared.

“Now that we’re back to the three or four o’clock kickoffs, I think that will become more of a routine and we can actually get some structure going into our day ahead of those timings.”

Originally from South Africa, Holgate has immersed himself in the buzz of London life.

“I love how busy it is and the city kind of life,” Holgate said.

“I’ve basically been near the beach for a lot of my life as I’m from Cape Town and I lived in Jersey for a couple years, which was awesome.

“So it was definitely a culture shock coming to London, but I’m slowly getting into that.

“I’m enjoying my football a lot more now. I’ve been Brentford as I live next to their stadium so I’ve been supporting them, and been watching a few games with my partner from Australia. It’s been good to get into that and see a different sport and different profession, which has been pretty cool.”

With a diverse contingent of players at the club including Englishmen, Scots, Irishmen, and South Africans, Holgate commented on how the Club is a home away from home.

“There are loads of Saffas in London and I guess all over the world. Wherever you go, you’ll always find a South African or an Irishman.”

“We’ve had a braai pretty much every weekend. It feels like I’m not too far from home.

“Lamb chops are always my choice for a braai. We need to get some more in the diary with the team. And we’ve got a lot of Scottish guys at the Club now so we’ll have to expand to having some haggis.”

Back row Kyle Hatherell talks London life and the anticipation for a physical battle against Chinnor. 

Experienced back rower Hatherell signed for the Club ahead of the 2025/26. Born in South Africa, Hatherall grew up watching northern hemisphere rugby.

After playing his age-grade rugby with the Sharks in Durban, he has played at several northern hemisphere clubs in his adult career including Worcester Warriors, La Rochelle, and Leicester Tigers.

Hatherell can move between lock and back row but starts at eight in the first pre-season fixture against Chinnor.

“I’m really excited for this fixture,” Hatherell said.

“Pre-season has been tough. The standard of training has been really high, which I’ve enjoyed. Everyone’s working hard.

“There have been lot of long, hard training days, but it’s all building up so you can play rugby. To get an opportunity to play in the first game is great.”

 

“I don’t think you can ever simulate match fitness by not actually playing a game, but we’ve been working hard on and off the pitch.”

2025/26 is the second season that Chinnor are included in Champ Rugby. Hatherell is looking forward to a physical battle upfront on Friday night.

“I’d say most teams, especially from a forwards point of view, always want to be physical.

“We’re expecting some big collisions, which I quite enjoy. I think they’ll just be up for it just like we will. Chinnor have also been working hard, waiting for these days to come where we can actually play rugby.

“I’ve enjoyed the training and the environment so far so I’m looking to getting stuck in.”

Having relocated to west London from the East Midlands ahead of this season, as a coffee fanatic, Hatherell has been enjoying the diverse food and drink culture that London has to offer.

“I’ve moved around a fair bit with rugby but it’s been good. I’m enjoying London,” Hatherell said. “The setup at Ealing is really good as well.

“I like to branch out and try new places, but I wouldn’t really say that I’ve found a go-to coffee place yet. Especially having so many different places to explore. At the moment, I’m just picking a part of London, make my way there, and then find a good coffee shop.”

Whilst a coffee crawl is on his to-do list during his time-off from training, Hatherell has some places in mind to explore across the city.

“I have a list of all these viral places that I’d like to go to, and then on our days off, pick one and and see if it’s close enough.”

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