Women’s Super League: Wigan Warriors’ Anna Mary Davies on her unusual journey from athletics to rugby league | Rugby League News
A former national sprint hurdles medallist at youth level, winger Anna Mary Davies is carving out a second sporting career for herself in the Betfred Women’s Super League with Wigan after injury ended her athletics ambitions
By Marc Bazeley
Last Updated: 16/12/21 5:42pm
Anna Mary Davies has had an unusual journey to playing the Women’s Super League with Wigan
Not growing up steeped in rugby league history, Anna Mary Davies admits she was somewhat oblivious to just what a big deal it was when she was first invited to play for Wigan Warriors.
Indeed, the winger’s first sporting love was not even either code of the oval-ball game, competing as a sprint hurdler for Nottingham-based Notts Athletic Club before injury curtailed those ambitions.
Although unknown to her at the time, that set Davies on a road which led through taking up rugby union in Bath, to playing for the Great Britain Teachers rugby league team and then on to starring in the Women’s Super League this year for the Warriors.
It was Wigan women’s team assistant John Whalley, also at that point head coach of the GB Teachers women, who spotted the 26-year-old’s potential and invited her to move north – a move she readily accepted once she became aware of the Cherry and Whites’ trophy-laden history in the men’s game.
“At the time, I had no idea what he’d offered me,” Davies told Sky Sports. “Then digging into the history of things I was like ‘Oh!’.
“I’m a big football fan, so it’s almost like being asked to play for Manchester United. I was excited about it and I chatted to my coach in Bath, and he said go for it. The Super League is growing, and it seems to be like a very exciting time to be part of women’s rugby league.
“My aim had been to come and just get a starting spot in the squad. The fact I managed to achieve that, and it came quicker than I expected it to, I’m really pleased with it.
Davies scored six tries in 12 appearances for Wigan in 2022
“Just having a season under my belt and having played consistently for the season puts me in good stead for 2022 and I’m excited to see what happens.”
Davies had previously competed in athletics at a national level, winning medals in both the U15 and U17 age group before suffering a stress fracture which required surgery and would keep her out of competing in any sport for five years.
When she was eventually given the all-clear in 2018, she was convinced by her rugby-playing friends on her sports science degree course at the University of Bath to try her hand at union and quickly found her feet out wide for Bath Ladies, the women’s arm of the Gallagher Premiership club.
It was Bath head coach and Warrington native John Gould who encouraged Davies, then working as a teaching assistant, to attend the GB Teachers southern trials and she impressed enough to earn a call-up to the squad as well as this opportunity with Wigan.
I’m a big football fan, so it’s almost like being asked to play for Manchester United.
Anna Mary Davies on playing for Wigan
Caps against the Armed Forces and Wales, the latter of which she scored a hat-trick of tries in, followed, while Davies’ first season of Women’s Super League action in 2021 saw her score six tries in 12 appearances as the Warriors finished fifth.
It has undoubtedly been a rapid rise for Davies in a sport she was unfamiliar with, but most of all she is thankful for the opportunity after having those five years out of competing in sport which gave her a chance to reassess her priorities in life.
“I think I’d been on a bit of a journey personally,” Davies, who is a practising Christian, said. “Athletics was the most important thing to me, whereas in that time when I couldn’t do it my faith became more and more important to me.
“When I had the opportunity to go back, I was doing sports science at Bath Uni at the team and half my course played rugby, so I had a group of friends who were trying to get me to do it. I thought changing sport gave me a chance to enjoy it rightly.
“It sounds strange – when I play rugby, I enjoy it, but I’m really thankful for the opportunity to play it. Whereas with the athletics, it was my be-all and end-all.
“It’s not that my commitment is not the same, because it is, but I’m just really thankful to play it – and I get to use my speed, so it’s nice to play and I love the challenge.”
The women’s team might not yet have the same level of success as Wigan’s men – the 2018 Super League title is their sole trophy to date – but Davies is optimistic they can be competing for honours again when the 2022 season gets under way.
How much a part of the club as a whole they are is shown by the fact players like Davies have been joining members of the men’s and wheelchair sides as part of the ‘Warriors Unite’ community programme.
Davies takes part in a Warriors Unite session at St Benedict’s Primary School in Hindley
That has included going into schools in the Borough of Wigan, where Davies has been enjoying inspiring the next generation and showing girls the opportunities opening up for them in rugby league, as well as returning to her roots working in education.
“It differs in some ways in the fact I think the kids respect you for rugby,” Davies said with a laugh. “Also, previously I was a teaching assistant and a rugby player.
“I love both, but rugby is my passion so it’s quite nice to be able to come in and do the thing I love with the kids. That’s been good and slightly different, and you can be a little bit more yourself.
“I never thought I’d be able to come in as a player, but that’s the progress from where the game was to where it is now.”
