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Getting to Know<br />
Gemma McCamley<br />
Do you have a nickname? If so, what is it?<br />
For better or worse, I haven’t had any<br />
real nicknames. When I played at an U18s<br />
7s tournament I was dubbed ‘wishbone<br />
thunderstorm’ for the day, but it didn’t<br />
seem to stick (not sure why).<br />
Who was your favourite player growing<br />
up and why?<br />
I didn’t really grow up in a rugby<br />
household, so I didn’t have much exposure<br />
to the sport, never mind the women’s<br />
game. When I started playing at 17, I<br />
suppose I looked up to Rory Best, I was<br />
so proud that a local <strong>Ulster</strong> man was the<br />
captain of the Irish squad. It just proves<br />
how important exposure is.<br />
Who is your favourite player now?<br />
Now, it has to be Ashleigh Baxter. I met<br />
Ashleigh in the <strong>Ulster</strong> set up and she was<br />
training and playing with Cooke for the<br />
second half of this season. Her wealth of<br />
experience from playing internationally<br />
is phenomenal, she brings so much<br />
individually but also, she feeds so much<br />
into the squad as well. Plus, she is an<br />
absolute machine.<br />
What is your favourite thing about<br />
playing rugby?<br />
I really appreciate the community around<br />
the game. I think it’s excellent to be able<br />
to meet with a group of like-minded,<br />
driven women and spend time together<br />
pushing each other on. I think as a female<br />
athlete that supportive atmosphere is<br />
really important.<br />
Do you have any pets? If so, tell us<br />
about them.<br />
I’ve always grown up with dogs,<br />
but last summer I bit the bullet<br />
and went and got my ‘first’ dog.<br />
She’s an Australian Kelpie<br />
Border Collie cross called Roo<br />
(like kangaroo) and she is such<br />
an odd ball, so she fit right in<br />
from day one.<br />
Like a typical herding breed, she<br />
is very high energy and would<br />
do anything for a ball (including<br />
blatant theft), but when she’s in<br />
the house she is an absolute<br />
space invader and will insist<br />
on sitting on your lap. Her<br />
favourite things are ball,<br />
chasing seagulls<br />
on the beach<br />
and cuddles<br />
(specifically<br />
from her<br />
‘Nana’).<br />
Are you<br />
a tidy or<br />
messy<br />
person?<br />
I would love<br />
to say that<br />
I am tidy,<br />
but I’m<br />
definitely a<br />
messy person<br />
who strives to be<br />
tidy. I’m getting<br />
better but it’s<br />
definitely a work in<br />
progress.<br />
If you could eat one meal for the rest of<br />
your life, what would it be?<br />
This is really tough, because I am a huge<br />
foodie. Probably pizza- BBQ or Hawaiian<br />
with extra pineapple (yes, pineapple does<br />
belong on pizza).<br />
What can’t you live without?<br />
Food, which is probably why I’ll never<br />
break into the backline.<br />
Do you have any pre-match rituals or<br />
superstitions?<br />
I love arriving really early before the<br />
game. I think getting out on the<br />
pitch before warmup to get a bit<br />
of headspace really helps settle<br />
the nerves.<br />
If you were a super-hero, what<br />
powers would you have?<br />
I would love to have the ability to<br />
control time. Imagine never being late<br />
for a deadline and always getting a lie in.<br />
List two pet peeves.<br />
People who are<br />
negative all the<br />
time and untidy<br />
people. (I’m<br />
aware of the<br />
irony)<br />
What three<br />
w o r d s<br />
w o u l d<br />
y o u r<br />
friends<br />
use to<br />
describe<br />
you?<br />
“The mum<br />
friend”<br />
Are you good at any other sports?<br />
I competed in gymnastics as a kid for<br />
years, but I wasn’t very coordinated and<br />
managed to get by on just being strong for<br />
a 10-year-old. I think if I left rugby I would<br />
look consider competing in Olympic lifting<br />
or powerlifting. I appreciate the simplicity<br />
of just going to the gym and getting as<br />
strong as possible, and it would be nice<br />
to not have to worry about doing broncos<br />
ever again.<br />
What is your favourite film?<br />
I’m embarrassed to admit that I love<br />
watching any/all Christmas films- even the<br />
really awful Netflix ones. I appreciate well<br />
scripted blockbuster movies but there is<br />
something so fuzzy about Christmas films.<br />
Do you have any fears? If so, what are they?<br />
Bugs- specifically spiders. I’m not ashamed<br />
to admit that I called my grandad round<br />
to save me from a particularly monstrous<br />
one that I found in my bed with me a few<br />
years ago.<br />
What motivates you?<br />
I’m very goal-orientated so I get a lot<br />
of enjoyment from setting targets so<br />
I’m always working towards the next<br />
progression. Surrounding yourself with<br />
supportive people is helpful too, on<br />
the days when you can’t muster the<br />
motivation, you know that external<br />
support is there to keep you going.<br />
ulster.rugby 15
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