Happy to be home: England and Gloucester star Millie Wood is back after international adventures

For many avid travellers, a trip around the world is a journey of self-discovery, cultural experiences and Instagram posts with elephants. They typically return draped in native flower leis and medallions. However, Millie Wood arrived at her former University campus in Cheltenham, donning the matching black and red of a Gloucester-Hartpury Women’s Rugby tracksuit.

It quickly became clearer than the water which flows through the River Severn, that she will never forget her roots. Despite travelling the globe and seeing the bright lights of the world’s stage first-hand.

The England international has been playing her rugby for Gloucester-Hartpury for just over a season now, and she is delighted to be representing her club that she calls home.

Wood is now a household name for Gloucester-Hartpury. (Credit: Alesha Christian)

“Having grown up in Cheltenham and being Gloucestershire born and bred, I was introduced to rugby, watching Gloucester at Kingsholm."

“To come back to Gloucester knowing that there was a team that I could play for, and have so much passion for, even before I played, It’s funny! I had never been there since it (Gloucester-Hartpury Women’s) had been set up, but it did feel like coming home."

Wood, who represented the University of Gloucestershire against the University of Worcester, in the Varsity rivalry remembered that she would “Always rather be a cheese” (than a sauce), and embraced her ‘Team Glos’ spirit, whilst sat in the student bar, remembering how it used to look.

Wood breaks a tackle against Wasps. (Credit: Alesha Christian)

The outside centre has caps for her country in both fifteens and sevens rugby, with her international career so far meeting its peak at the Women’s Super-Series last summer.

Wood reminisced about her spell with the Red Roses and is ready to return to the squad for the 2020 Women's Six Nations.

“For someone who’s young, you’ve just got to enjoy the moment. You think about the opportunity that you’ve been given, and at the end of the day, everyone says it’s just rugby.”

“Whether you’re just wearing your local club shirt, or your England shirt, it’s just a game of rugby.

“I think everyone plays better when they just enjoy themselves, not overthinking the occasion is a big one, for me especially.”

“It is a really big thing to just enjoy the moment, and to just not let it go by too quickly, because you don’t know when the next one is going to come”

Wood had a successful spell representing England Women's. (Credit Neil Kennedy)

A personal highlight for Wood is coming face to face with the Black Ferns and their iconic haka. The memory is seemingly indescribable.

“I had the chance to play against New Zealand for the first time in the summer and standing opposite a haka is quite something.”

“It is quite daunting, because you watch it on TV, and think 'Oh that’s really cool', but when you’re actually stood in front of it, and you know what emotions you feel. You’ve got to keep a straight face.

“I didn’t really know how to feel, I just had goose bumps all over, it is pretty intimidating when your stood that close to them"

“You almost want to smile, because it’s that rivalry, you don’t want to seem phased.

“You want to play the game, but inside you’re feeling 'oh my God!' But no, now it is something that I can tick off the bucket list, it is amazing to say that I was a part of that.”

With pace and stamina being real strings to her bow, it was no wonder why England Women’s 7s selected Wood to travel around the world with the squad.

The former 7s star was beaming, as she thought back to each corner of the world she visited, yet winced at the thought of playing a truly enduring form of rugby.

“I think personally, I am better suited to 15’s. 7’s was an incredible experience and one that I never saw my career path taking."

“People that don’t know the game, when you tell them that it is only 14 minutes long, they go “Oh well, that’s easy!”

“It is the most physically gruelling thing I’ve ever been through. It took me all around the world, to places that I would have never of gone.”

“I loved flying out to Sydney, because I’d never of had the opportunity, it’s a big once in a lifetime trip for a lot of people, that they save up for a lot of time for. To spend ten days over there was really incredible.”

“Dubai, my first 7s cap, you know that’s another country that you can’t explain unless you go and experience it.”

“Canada was beautiful, and then Japan was just something else, So they’re all different in their own respect.”

Wood has been all over the world to represent England in 7s and 15s rugby. (Credit: Neil Kennedy)

It certainly is great to see the hometown hero returning to Gloucester, the sky truly is the limit for this globetrotter, as she will be jetting off to France in February for Six Nations duties.