My regional cap as a player.
In the early days of women's rugby in the UK, I was the only person regularly writing a column about the sport. This was mostly in "Rugby World" and lasted for six years.
I was paid a flat rate for my monthly articles, and couldn't claim any expenses. I was usually out of pocket gathering the information or watching matches around the country. Quite often my article would be dropped for an ad, without warning. It made keeping a continuity of readership fairly challenging. There just wasn't the same attitude to the sport as there is now.
I also collated the stats for women's rugby across all levels for the Rothmans Rugby Year Book for many years. This included a review of the season.
After "Rugby World", I went on to write for "First XV" and "Rugby News", as well as contributing articles to many regional publications.
As a Press Officer, I started promoting rugby at Richmond Women's Rugby Club on a local level and played for the club for seven seasons. I then became Press Officer for the inaugural Women's Rugby World Cup in 1991 as one of the four organisers, and spent the following season as Press Officer for the Women's Rugby Football Union as it was called then.
A "First XV" article
Coverage of the 1994 World Cup in Edinburgh for "First XV". I was an accredited freelance reporter at the event. Oh and England won.
Peer recognition for my mostly unpaid/loss making work as a rugby writer.
Honoured to be inducted in November during the Women's Rugby World Cup in New Zealand for my work as one of the pioneers of the event back in 1991.
This is a link to my Wikipedia page, created by World Rugby: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Cooper_(rugby_union) which needs updating somewhat.
My Hall of Fame cap. "Inductee 157" is embroidered on the inside of the cap.
One of many specialist rugby titles for whom I wrote back in the day.
Review of the 1991 World Cup P1
Review of the 1991 World Cup P2
Review of the 1991 World Cup P3
Many of this team have gone on to represent England and are now respected coaches and administrators.
Watch a film made by ITV in 2022 as part of that year's World Cup, which features me talking about the 1991 World Cup both in then and in 2022: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXtsGkkdvl4
Preview of the 1991 World Cup
Preview of 1991 World Cup P2
Here my advertising writing and rugby life collided with this award-winning promotion for Tetley's Bitter. It had to feature the brand spokesman who was the then men's England captain: Martin Johnson. It was highly commended in the Institute of Sales Promotion awards, as the campaign not only worked but generated a lot of press coverage too.
A press ad with the same promotion. You'll find the supporting radio campaign of two commercials on my radio reel elsewhere on this website.