Amelia MacDougall reflects on the Allianz Cup win
Amelia MacDougall looks back fondly on the Allianz Cup triumph of the 2023/24 season, in which she played a key role in steering Saracens to victory at Shaftesbury Park during her debut senior campaign.
Saracens Women beat Bristol Bears Women at Shaftesbury Park in the Allianz Cup Final to round off an impressive campaign for the club.
The now 20-year-old graduated from the Junior Academy two years ago and was handed the starting fly half shirt for much of the Allianz Cup run, an opportunity she admits came sooner than expected.
“I was 18 years old and just so happy to be training and integrating into senior rugby,” she said. “In all honesty, I probably was not ready for the step up, but I am so glad I was given the opportunity to take the starting shirt. Getting game time in the Cup allowed me to progress into the start of this campaign and set me up for the challenge of competing in the PWR.”
Despite featuring a number of promising youngsters including MacDougall, Tori Sellors and Chloe Flannagan, the Allianz Cup squad also benefited from the experience of seasoned internationals such as Sarah McKenna, Lotte Sharp and Bryony Cleall. MacDougall believes this balance was key to their success.
“Having the experience combined with the youth brought a special sort of energy to the side. Especially when it came to the final, we knew we had players around us who had done it all before, so we could put our faith in them to go and deliver.
On a personal note, having someone like Sarah McKenna just outside me in the midfield was particularly helpful. She certainly guided me through some moments and allowed me to really excel.”
Reflecting on her first senior final 12 months ago, MacDougall recalls trying to take in all the sights and sounds of the occasion.
“I remember we went down to Bristol the day before. We had a shirt presentation in the hotel, and it allowed us to reflect on our campaign so far and really come together as a group for one final time.
When we arrived at Shaftesbury Park, the first thing I noticed was that it was quite windy, which as a kicker is never ideal. But the support we received, despite the match being in Bristol, was really overwhelming and certainly helped settle my nerves heading into the game.”
You never forget your first trophy win, and for MacDougall this Cup victory will clearly live long in the memory.
“A lot of this group at the club have enjoyed silverware, whether it be here at Sarries or elsewhere, so to get that trophy in my first season for the club I have supported for so long is something that is really special to me.”
With valuable match experience already gained early in her career, the fly half is now looking ahead with confidence.
“The Cup competition allowed me to get my feet under the table a little bit. I now feel as though I can be more of a voice and a leader on the pitch, which is obviously really important as a half back. I am excited to see what I can do over the next few years in a Saracens shirt, but with the Cup campaign on the horizon in August all priorities will shift as we look to retain the trophy.”
