GLOUCESTER-HARTPURY'S CASTELLUCCI AHEAD OF BIG GAME OUTING AT TWICKENHAM

Rugby has been a part of Carmen Castellucci's life for as long as she can remember.

The Gloucester-Hartpury back row spent her childhood watching her dad play rugby from the sidelines in her hometown of Granada before taking to the pitch herself as a teenager.

Now 21 years old, Castellucci has racked up several caps for the Spanish national team, including taking part in the WXV 3 tournament in Dubai before signing for the Cherry and Whites in the summer of 2023.

And it all stemmed from one bored summer in Spain.

"Rugby has been in my life forever as my dad played it," she said. "I started with so many sports. I tried rugby when I was eight but didn't really like it so I just played basketball for seven years.

"It was only when I was like 14 or 15 that I just told my dad that I wanted to go with his veterans team to play touch one day in summer because I was just bored.

"Then the coach of the university girls team asked me if I wanted to try for the seniors Granada University team.

"I went there and I really enjoyed the environment and the girls. It was like I just discovered a new family and I really loved it."

Castellucci quickly stormed onto the international scene, moving to Madrid aged 16 to play alongside the national team and honing her skills on the pitch.

"I spent one year in Granada and then I moved to Madrid to play in one of the most historical clubs in Spain," she added.

"I just moved there because I wanted to train with the Spanish team and get into this environment even if I was very young.

"I spent two years in Madrid before moving to Seville to finish my studies in college and play seriously for the first time."

Castellucci left Spain to join Paris-based side AC Bobigny 93 and played there for two years before joining Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby side Gloucester-Hartpury ahead of the 2023/24 season - a move she admitted came a lot earlier than expected in her career.

And with three games this term under her belt, including a team of the week performance in Round 2, Castellucci revealed that her introduction to the league has been nothing but welcoming.

She said: "I always wanted to play in England, but the plan was that I would go to university and play in France and in Spain and then when I'm like 28 or the best player I can be, then I would go to England and be good enough to play there.

"I never thought I would come over here this early in my career.

"But it's never too early or too late. I had the opportunity and I was motivated enough to make that jump.

"It was very scary at the beginning because I had joined the best team in the league and in the best league in the world.

"But everyone here has made it so easy and now it's down to me to learn."

The versatile forward is now braving her first winter in England in preparation for Big Game 15 against Harlequins at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday 30 December.

Having never stepped foot in the home of English rugby, Castellucci is excited for her first opportunity to play at such a historic venue and in front of her largest crowd yet - leaning on the experience of her teammates to give her the confidence.

"It would be a dream to play in a place like that at Twickenham," she said.

"I've never been there before so I don't know what to expect but everyone speaks of Big Game so well.

"I've never played before in a stadium like that with so many people watching so I'm not really nervous now but I certainly will be when we get there as it's a dream for me.

"My experienced teammates are more used to it so I guess they will help me to get that confidence in time."

Castellucci is one of several Spanish players to have made the journey to England to play rugby, paving the way for young girls back home to follow their dreams in the sport.

The Granada-born forward praised the Allianz PWR and its partnership with TNT Sports as it makes rugby accessible for the next generation of sporting stars in Spain.

"England is leading the way in showing live rugby and growing the women's game," she said.

"For me, one of the biggest parts of growing the game is showing it in media and making it more accessible to the people that are not in the stadium watching it.

"Obviously, rugby in Spain is quite raw still and is very far from being professional and there's not many girls playing the sport at the moment.

"So coming to England, there's this professionalism around it and it's quite a big thing.

"In the two years I spent in France, my family couldn't watch me play one game without being there in person so I think the TNT coverage is very exciting.

"For Big Game, young girls don't have to be in London to watch us play.

"To have those role models and see and watch the game on TV allows them to dream of being there themselves."