A Defender Spirit
Enjoying the surroundings of 1 Hotel Mayfair Hotel, wearing an outfit by Helen McAlinden. Photo courtesy of JLR.
Always up for giving a new experience a try, I was first in the scrum to join Defender — Principal partner of the Women’s Rugby World Cup — tackling a weekend in London this September which culminated with a ticket to the final at London’s Twickenham Stadium.
The rugby shirt has been a notable trend this season, cropping up everywhere from Miu Miu’s preppy runway edits to Arket’s minimalist streetwear staples. Its resurgence feels particularly timely in a year that’s seen women’s rugby command global attention. Once a symbol of athletic grit, the rugby shirt now straddles sport and style—worn oversized with skirts or tucked into tailored trousers for a look that’s equal parts collegiate and cool. It’s a nod to heritage, a wink to the pitch, and a quiet celebration of the women redefining both fashion and the game.
That spirit of reinvention and celebration was front and centre in late September, when I was fortunate enough to be invited to join Defender at the Women’s Rugby World Cup final in Twickenham, London. Being an avid rugby fan as well as an advocate for girls and women’s participation in sports,I was immediately onboard.The Women’s Rugby World Cup commenced on August 22nd with the final taking place on September 27th (England beat Canada 33 to 13). The partnership between Defender and the tournament feels organic, building on 25 years of Land Rover’s commitment to the sport. Its support for the women’s game this year includes the creation of the Defender 110Trophy Vehicle - featuring sophisticated two-tone matte and gloss black bodywork, with gold detailing on its alloy wheels, grille, and Defender bonnet script. It was a bold visual statement that mirrored the spirit of the competition itself.
Upon arrival at Heathrow, we were greeted by our Defender driver, who would be with us for the weekend. First stop on our jaunt was The Old Session House in central London, where we attended a lunch and panel discussion featuring an all-female lineup that comprised voices from Defender and the world of rugby, exploring themes of resilience, performance and modern leadership. Hosted by bestselling author and columnist Otegha Uwagba, the panel included Hettie Bland, Materiality Manager and Creative at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), Zainab Alema, a neonatal nurse and former rugby player for the England team, and Dr. Evona Teh, Strategic Foresight Lead at JLR. Alema spoke about ‘embracing the impossible’ and how it related to her particular journey. “Being a neonatal baby, [Alema was born prematurely at 26 weeks] that’s embracing the impossible,” she said.“To then be a female, and a Muslim rugby player, that’s also embracing the impossible,” she continued. Sydney-born, Hettie Bland, brought a designer’s perspective, with more than a decade in textile print design for British heritage brands. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re designing a cardigan or a car, the process starts with a pencil drawing and ends with a product,” she explained. From listening to the panel, what really stood out to me was the crossover between sport and business. Excellence in sport and excellence in the automotive world contain a lot of the same ingredients. Teamwork, collaboration, innovation, embracing challenges head-on.
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re designing a cardigan or a car, the process starts with a pencil drawing and ends with a product”
The perfect coat?
Wearing the ‘Magee’ coat from Helen McAlinden. Photo courtesy of JLR.
You can find the coat here
Next, it was off to check into our sumptuous lodgings at 1 Hotel Mayfair on Berkeley Street, which unites sustainability and luxury inaway that is refreshingly unique. The bedrooms here are a serene extension of the hotel’s nature-inspired ethos, with each room featuring reclaimed oak floors, filtered water taps, and organic, non- toxic mattresses dressed in locally sourced linens.
On our first evening in the city, we dined at Apricity, a Michelin Green Star restaurant in Mayfair by multi-award-winning chef Chantelle Nicholson.The place is a celebration of conscious cooking, joyful dining, and regenerative hospitality, and their mission is simple, to create unforgettable dining experiences that nourish people and planet. The menu included cured chalk steam trout with cultured cream and pickled rhubarb, and London red butter head lettuce salad, with miso, tomato and crispy kale — this dish was a highlight for me.
“94% of women in executive managerial positions have a background in sport.”
As the weekend unfolded, I found myself reflecting on the role sport has played in my own life. My sport of choice growing up was basketball; I played a lot for my school and club and was lucky enough to make it onto an underage Irish basketball squad. I recently also participated in a campaign for International Women’s Day for Hersport.ie, where several women in the business world spoke about their experience growing up playing sport and how the benefits cross over into the corporate world. I learned that 94% of women in executive managerial positions have a background in sport. I have an eleven-year-old little girl called Ellie who I encourage to participate. But I digress.
On Saturday afternoon, it was time for the game. We were going to a World Cup Final, which felt surreal. But not only that, it was a women’s world cup final, and a sell-out crowd to boot. We were driven to Twickenham in a shiny new Defender, and the excitement at the stadium was palpable from the moment we arrived. It felt monumental and historic. A record number (81,885) fans were in attendance — the largest crowd ever for a women’s rugby match. Meanwhile, some 5.8 million TV viewers tuned in across the UK, making it the most-watched rugby match of the year. Among the crowd in the stadium were young players from Enniskillen Rugby Club, who had participated in Defender’s Trailblazer campaign earlier in the year. The advert shown during the tournament depicted the moment Emily Valentine became the first known woman to play rugby—her hometown of Enniskillen serving as the backdrop. Defender visited her club to bring the story to life for a new generation. Following the game, we enjoyed the hospitality space at Twickenham for a while before returning to our hotel and dinner at Dovetale restaurant, which is led by Two Michelin-starred chef Tom Sellers. The menu features reimagined European classics showcasing the best of British produce.
As we enjoyed dinner, my mind drifted back to the enlightening experiences of the weekend as a whole. From the pitch to the panel, and from sustainable dining to heritage design, the weekend was a celebration of resilience, innovation, and progress. Defender’s commitment to embracing the impossible was reflected not only in the game but in every detail of the experience. For me, it was a reminder that sport—like style, like leadership — Is a powerful force for change. And, as Ellie and her peers look to the future, may they find inspiration in the women who continue to redefine what’s possible.
This article was also published in print in Social & Personal Magazine in November 2025.
