Sue Dorrington Explained

Birth Date:10 June 1958
Birth Place:Minnesota, United States
Ru Position:Centre, Hooker
Clubs1:Twin City Amazons
Years1:1982 - 1983
Clubs2:Finchley Women
Years2:1984 - 1986
Years3:1986 - 2000
Clubs3:Richmond Women
Points1:0
Reppoints1:0
Repyears2:1987 – 1997
Reppoints2:0

Sue Dorrington (born 10 June 1958) is a former English rugby union player and pioneer of the women's game, in England and internationally.

Biography

Dorrington was born and raised in Minnesota, USA.[1] She started playing rugby in the early eighties and moved to London in 1983 for more competitive rugby.[2] She played for Richmond Women and represented both Great Britain, and England in test matches.

Dorrington and three of her Richmond teammates — Deborah Griffin, Alice Cooper, and Mary Forsyth, organized the first Women's Rugby World Cup in Wales in 1991.[3] [4] She had to balance her role on the Women’s Rugby World Cup Organising Committee and also as England’s starting hooker at the World Cup. She missed the official opening ceremony as she had to take care of Griffin’s daughter, and then line up at hooker for England the following day.

Dorrington later captained England against Scotland at the 1994 World Cup. She did not get to play in the final when England beat defending champions the United States 38–23. She played her last test for England in 1997. She continued to play for Richmond and is the only player to represent Richmond for over three decades.

Dorrington was also Richmond’s first-ever female vice-president.

World Rugby Hall of Fame

Dorrington, Griffin, Cooper, and Forsyth were inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in a special ceremony during the 2021 Rugby World Cup semi-finals at Eden Park on 5 November 2022.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2020-04-14 . On this day: ‘We were better than them but they were relentless’ . 2022-10-01 . www.women.rugby . en.
  2. Web site: Crossing the line feature film . 2022-09-30 . www.rshfilms.co.uk.
  3. Web site: Hughes . Amani . 2022-05-14 . Meet the four women behind the first ever Women's Rugby World Cup . 2022-10-01 . ITV News . en.
  4. Web site: 2022-03-27 . 1991 pioneers, players, and perseverance: The first women’s Rugby World Cup . 2022-10-01 . World Rugby Museum . en.
  5. Web site: 2022-09-29 . World Rugby Hall of Fame to recognise pioneering women and recent stars at New Zealand induction . 2022-09-30 . www.rugbyworldcup.com . en.