Key Facts
| Squad | Lichfield |
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| Position | Hooker |
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| Age | 22 |
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| Height | 1.62m (5'4") |
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| Weight | 73kg (11st 6lb) |
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| Caps | 16 |
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Once the UK’s No 1 junior hurdler, Nuneaton-born Victoria Fleetwood has converted those skills into success on the rugby field that brought a first senior England cap against the United States in the 15-11 win at Appleby College, Ontario in early August 2011.
Three more swiftly followed in the match against South Africa and in the two meetings with Canada. Her fifth Test appearance was against France at Châteaurenaud and her sixth came in the startling line up when New Zealand, the World champions, were beaten 10-0 at Twickenham in November.
A few days later, she scored England’s third and final try in the euphoric 21-7 win at Esher that clinched the series, played off the bench for Amy Turner in the drawn third Test between the sides and then started the opening match in the 2012 RBS 6 Nations Championship match against Scotland.
Her tenth cap was off the bench for Amy Turner in the 43-3 win over Italy at Recco in February 2012. She then started the Twickenham match against Wales before completing a full set of appearances in this season’s tournament by appearing against France and Ireland. Vicky then played off the bench against Spain in the FIRA-AER European Cup in Rovereto in May and started the other two games against Italy and France when England lifted the title.
She recently completed three years of studies in Sport & Exercise Science at Leeds Metropolitan University, having been previously educated at All Saints’, Sapcote and John Cleveland College in Hinckley, where she began playing at the age of 14.
Vicky played for the Leicester Forest club until 2006-07, has figured ten times for England U20s and in eight England A games. Martin Hynes, the U20s forwards coach in 2008-09 and Giselle Mather, the head coach, have been her mentors along the way to winning BUCS Sevens titles with Leeds Met in 2009 and 2010.
Equally memorable was Vicky’s player of the match award at Twickenham last April when her university won the BUCS 15-a-side title immediately before flying to Spain with the England A squad for the triumphant European Trophy campaign.
She has also been to Canada with the U20 squad, Cyprus with her university and in August 2010 scored tries against Brazil and Norway for the British Universities in the World Championships in Porto, Portugal.
Vicky said: “I started playing when they had a girls’ match at John Cleveland. I used to run and wanted to join in. I watched my brother Andy, a high standard junior athlete play and I just thought I would give it a go.”
A former centre, she joined her present club Lichfield when 17 and is now a member of their senior squad. Vicky switched from centre to hooker, where she still plays, only a month before being picked in that position for England U20s when they demolished Wales 31-0 at Cardiff in 2008.
She was also in the Championship winning side in the inaugural U20 Nations Cup during her three seasons with the side. Vicky’s favourite past player is Neil Back, her present ones are Lee Mears and Schalk Brits, wakeboarding is her special hobby and Twickenham her top ground.
Last updated: May 21, 2012
