Finchley RFC is delighted to celebrate Finchley Phoenix player Ana (Anastasia) Wilkinson, who was called up to represent Greece Women’s 7s at the Rugby Europe 7s Conference in Andorra.

It was a historic tournament for Greece as the women’s team took part in the competition for the first time.

Ana joined the Greek squad in Athens for a week of training before travelling with the team to Andorra for the two-day tournament, which brought together teams from across Europe.

Greece faced Slovakia, Malta and Estonia in the group stage, putting points on the board in every match and improving as the tournament progressed.

They then faced Lithuania and Bosnia in the round-robin stage – and finished on a high by winning both matches. Ana, having recovered sufficiently from injuries picked up in the build-up to the tournament, was able to take to the field in both victories and help Greece make a little piece of rugby history.

“A fantastic team culture”
Reflecting on the experience, Ana said:
“I was really grateful for the opportunity to play and be part of the Greek rugby family. Everyone was so friendly and just excited to be playing together and uplift each other, which was such a great environment to be part of.

“I really admire the work so many different people have put in for this all to take place, particularly our coach Eleni, whose dedication to the team and the sport is really inspiring and has contributed to creating a fantastic team culture"

“I look forward to playing again for the team in the future and seeing where Greek women’s rugby can go!”

It is another fantastic achievement for Finchley Phoenix, and everyone at Finchley RFC is incredibly proud to see Ana representing Greece on the European stage.

Congratulations Ana – we can’t wait to see what comes next!