EXPERIENCED Worcester prop Rochelle Clark is hoping to make it third time lucky as she bids to capture the Women’s Rugby World Cup crown next month.
The 33-year-old, who has won 91 caps for her country, will be among six Worcester Ladies to travel to France where Gary Street’s side will be looking to go one better than they did four years ago.
A Kelly Brazier penalty was all that separated England and the piece of silverware they most crave as New Zealand condemned their rivals to a third successive World Cup final defeat.
Clark has experienced the agony of two of those – in 2006 and 2010 – and she said the squad were determined to end their World Cup woes.
“I’ll be hoping it’s third time lucky for me and I’ll be using all my experience and the heartache of the last two World Cups to bring home the gold this time around,” she said.
“We have to use that disappointment as fuel and it’ll certainly be a massive driving force behind the team.
“We know that nothing else is good enough apart from winning it and I am confident we are in the best shape to do that.”
Some might think winning the World Cup would be the perfect way for such an England stalwart to finish their international career, but Clark does not see it that way as she aims to make her 100th appearance and usurp Amy Garnett as the country’s most capped player.
“I have no intentions of hanging up the boots,” she said.
“I feel I am playing the best rugby that I have played, so I am really looking forward to pulling on the jersey and playing in my third World Cup.
“The hunger and the passion is certainly stronger than it has ever been, so I am not going to give up without a fight and the goal is to win the World Cup.
“The second goal is to get 100 caps and the third goal is to just keep going.”
The squad also features Worcester stars Ceri Large, Kat Merchant, Laura Keates, Heather Fisher and Lydia Thompson.
They will all be vying for a spot against Samoa on August 1 in what will be England’s first game in Group A, which also includes Spain and Canada.
Clark added: “There is a massive entourage of people coming across the Channel to support us, so it is important that we do the country proud and hopefully inspire a lot of young girls to play rugby, which will be really good for the sport.”