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I have already spoken about how proud I am to have been selected for my first World Cup, but not long after arriving in New Zealand it felt like that was suddenly taken away from me.
I tested positive for Covid-19 and had to isolate in my hotel room for seven days in line with the government rules here.
That meant missing the welcoming ceremony and England’s record win against Fiji.
A World Cup is potentially a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity so to have missed some of it is absolutely gutting but I am a positive person and cannot say that it was all bad while I was isolating.
Firstly, at home I live with my mum and my fiancee Benjii and it is very much an open-door policy in our house.
My brother and sister come and go with their kids and there is a lot going on.
So, setting aside the intense disappointment at not being able to play or train, being forced to spend a week alone was not entirely a bad thing.
Secondly, I got a lot of wedding planning done.
We got engaged in September and in the last week we have set a date, sent out save the dates, chosen the food we want and our rings.
My team-mates have also been making isolation easier. England’s nutritionist would drop off three meals a day for me, leaving a bag outside of the door and my team-mate Poppy Cleall started writing notes on the food bags. The first one just said, ‘six more days to go’.
I loved it so then every meal I was getting notes, puzzles, riddles and jokes and it was a real highlight.
The medical staff took great care of me and so did the team. I was sad to miss out on some aspects of the World Cup but I joined the cap presentation on Zoom and then one of the medical team left mine outside the door.
I also got a care package off World Rugby with some phenomenal squash in it. It tastes like lemon sorbet – life-changing.
When I tested positive, it felt like something had been taken away from me but I am so grateful to everyone who took care of me.
I had gym equipment in my room and was able to keep training. After all the rest I feel like a new woman and it is my role now that I am out of isolation to bring that energy to the side before our second group game against France on Saturday.
It could have been worse timing too. It is rubbish to get Covid at a World Cup but at least I have had it now. To miss a final because of it would be devastating.
‘Things are genuinely changing’
While I was isolating, this World Cup was breaking records.
It is already on track to be the biggest women’s Rugby World Cup.
I heard a stat that attendance for the whole of the 2017 World Cup was around 45,000 – for the opening games at Eden Park on Saturday, attendance was a record 34,235.
That shows how far women’s rugby has come and how far it can continue to go.
Things are genuinely changing across women’s sport – the opening day here came the day after there were over 76,000 fans at Wembley for the Lionesses’ win against the United States.
The growing profile has brought some bizarre twists for me personally too.
I saw on Twitter that I was in an Indian newspaper and just thought, “what is that about?”.
I checked the account and it had over two million followers. I am just playing rugby and talking about it sometimes so it feels weird to see how far that goes and feel like we are having a genuine impact.
Cricket, table tennis and a day at the races
I did manage to spend some time with the squad before I started isolating and there has been plenty to keep us entertained.
There is a core of players who got very into table tennis at our Auckland hotel and as a squad we love a bit of cricket too.
My favourite part of that is some of the bowling. Hooker Connie Powell, wing Jess Breach and full-back Ellie Kildunne are my favourite bowlers. They launch the ball with such venom.
Connie bowled out our forwards coach Louis Deacon and everyone went wild.
Wing Sarah McKenna is in charge of our social activities and she organised a virtual day at the races for all the players and staff.
We are in Whangarei now and our first stop here was to go and watch Wales v Scotland on Sunday.
Then there are the scooters. They are everywhere in Auckland and hooker Amy Cokayne has been a particular fan.
The only problem was that our hotel in Auckland was at the top of a hill and whether or not a scooter could carry you up that hill depended on your weight.
Basically, backs and Amy could make it up the hill, but forwards could not. I had no chance.
-BBC sport
KN
Tags: Shaunagh Brown column World Cup
