The Game Changers

Emma Mitchell: Preparing athletes for a life beyond sport

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Episode notes

Emma Mitchell was Red Rose number #19, with an international rugby career that spanned 15 years. She won 57 caps for England and Great Britain, competed in 4 World Cups with the 1994 World Cup win being her career highlight.

Following her retirement in 2002, Emma went on to coach at club, regional and international level in the USA, Canada and the UK.

In 2007 Emma joined the English Institute of Sport as a Performance Lifestyle Coach, supporting over 200 elite GB Hockey athletes and coaches over four Olympic cycles. Over the last 10 years, she’s also been involved in a number of coach development programmes, providing mentoring support to coaches in Tennis, Squash, Sailing, Hockey, Rugby, Swimming, Boxing and Football.

In this fascinating and entertaining conversation, we explore the early days of women’s rugby in England in the 1980s and Emma shares the conditions laid down for women to be allowed to play at London clubs and what it took to place for your country. 

What she’s learnt from a life in coaching and in her role as a lifestyle Advisor at the EIS. What can women’s team sport learn from Olympic and Paralympic programmes as it becomes professional and what the future looks like for women’s rugby players globally. 
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers through the National Lottery 

Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here.

Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media

A Fearless Women production