‘This could be my first and only chance to reach a World Cup’

In her BBC Sport column, England prop Shaunagh Brown explains why reaching the World Cup feels like running a never-ending mile and how the side kicked back with pool parties at St George’s Park.

Right now, England’s focus is on claiming a fourth title in a row. That is my main goal too, but we are also seven months out from a World Cup and this could be my first and only opportunity to reach our sport’s most important tournament.

I came to rugby relatively late, but I can remember the moment I set my sights on playing for England and since then the World Cup has always been a goal too.

I was watching the Red Roses play Wales at the Twickenham Stoop in the 2016 Six Nations, shortly before I turned 26. I turned to my mum and said: “I could have a go at this.”

I made my debut for England the following year, just after the 2017 World Cup ended. That tournament had been brought forward a year to avoid clashes with other events.

If it had stayed in 2018, that might have been my chance to play in a World Cup. I was expecting another opportunity in 2021, but we have had to wait another year after the tournament was postponed because of coronavirus.

So when it comes to the World Cup, it feels like I am running a never-ending mile.

I am now 32 and I cannot see myself playing international rugby aged 35 when the next World Cup comes around, but you never know.

The amount of trauma you have to put your body through in Test rugby is so intense, then you have to add on the emotional and mental toll too.

An England environment is a tough place to be. That is what we want because we want to be tough people on and off the pitch, but I am not sure I have got the capacity either physically or emotionally to keep doing that for another three and a half years.

I am not calling time on myself just yet though – let’s see what the future holds.

Representing my country in two sports is a constant focus

I am getting closer to my goal now. After competing in the hammer throw at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, getting to a Rugby World Cup would mean representing my country on the world stage in more than one sport.

It would be the pinnacle of my whole sporting career. The pride I would take from being able to say I’ve represented my country in two sports on the world stage is the ultimate.

With the incredible squad depth that England have, getting a place on the plane to New Zealand is going to be a challenge. But reaching the World Cup is the purpose that gets me through tough times.

It could be a difficult training session, or even a meeting, when I have had to face a few home truths about what I have to do to be better, but that goal keeps me focused.

Even after playing for my club Harlequins, when I wake up on a Sunday morning and my body hurts, I can’t move my neck and I think ‘why am I doing this?’

The answer is because I’ve told myself I will play at a World Cup so I will get out of bed and do my recovery. It is a constant.

You would think we are enemies in training

But like I said, for now the Six Nations is the main focus.

As a team we are here-and-now people. Everybody is playing for a place in the World Cup squad but as long as we train and play well in the Six Nations we will get ourselves in the best place for the tournament.

We make sure that today’s training session is better than yesterday’s – and that will take care of the future.

And our training has been intense. When you watch one of our sessions you would think ‘surely they are not going to play for the same team on Saturday’.

You would think we are enemies because of the intensity with which we go at each other. We want the best training environment possible and we are getting there.

We are the number one side in the world and it takes a lot of bravery to enjoy the challenge of going out as the team everyone wants to beat.

We are one of the only teams who have fully professional contracts and that puts a target on our backs too.

We are our own biggest critics and we are not ashamed to want to be the best.

Pool parties at St George’s Park

With all the pressure around the Six Nations and the World Cup, we have to find ways to relax too.

Training at St George’s Park earlier in March, we were very excited that there was a pool there.

We did use it for serious recovery of course, but we also could not help turning into kids on holiday when we were in there.

You had the kids in the pool playing a sort of standing version of water polo and the mums in the jacuzzi having a natter.

There was music on too so there was always a sing-song going on. It was perfect team building for a Six Nations campaign.

Shaunagh Brown was speaking to BBC Sport’s Becky Grey.