In our series, Behind the Player in association with Deloitte, Ulster’s Women players share a little bit about themselves, as well as recommendations for coping during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This week, Ulster Rugby spoke to Malone and Ulster second row, Hannah Beattie.
Tell us a little about your rugby pathway to date.
I first started playing tag rugby at primary school with the boys because no other girls wanted to play! After primary school, I didn’t play any rugby again until I was around sixteen - I played other sports during this time like hockey. We created a tag team at school and took part in a tournament which we did really well in. At one of the tournaments, there was a contact session afterwards at Ballynahinch and we were asked if we wanted to give it a go to see if we would like it. I absolutely loved it! We were invited to Ballynahinch to train with the U18 girls’ team and I haven’t stopped since!
I’ve been to quite a few clubs, starting off at Ballynahinch before moving to Cooke to play in the All-Ireland League, and now I’m playing for Malone. I started playing for the Ulster U18 team when I was sixteen for three years. In my final year, I got selected for the senior Ulster squad and was training for both U18 and senior teams, which was quite a handful while I was doing my A-Levels! I’ve been in the senior squad ever since.
Who have been your main influences in your rugby career?
What barriers have you had to overcome to reach this point?
Apart from the main obstacles that a woman playing rugby often has to overcome, I’ve had a lot of injuries which have been my main barrier. I’ve had a few injuries over the years, but the most serious was in 2016 when I was training for both U18 and senior Ulster squads. Three days before the U18s were meant to play our first game in the Inter-Pros, I got injured quite badly training for the senior squad. I ended up missing the entire last season of my Ulster U18 career. It was also the year we won the Inter-Pros which was very disappointing for me. I have also just recently come back from an ankle injury that I sustained in October. It’s one of those things that you know right away when you get injured that you might not play again for a while, especially at the start of the season. It’s not just the physical barrier that you have to overcome, it takes a lot out of you mentally as well. I would try to get to training as much as I can to cheer on the girls and be there for them. It’s very hard to stand on the side line knowing I can’t train at all and I want to be out there so badly but I can’t. Having to do rehab by yourself is difficult too.
The main thing is to surround yourself by your team-mates and friends; they have got me through my injuries. My Strength and Conditioning Coach, Diesel (Paul Heasley) has been fabulous. He always checks in on me to see how I’m getting on.
I lived with a few of my friends who played at Ulster and seeing them go to training or watching them on the pitch really drives me so much to get back at it. Even talking to my friends helps too; they tell me it won’t be forever and I’ll be back out on the pitch again. They’ve been great.
What have you been up to in the last few months?
At the start of March, I was working as a healthcare assistant in a nursing home and loved it, but with COVID-19, it was very tough but very rewarding at the same time. I was working nearly 50 hours a week and working in those conditions was something I had never done before. I was working there until June to focus on uni. I’m going back for five years to study medicine so I’ve been preparing for that.
I’ve started a new sport – or rather attempted one! Some of the girls and I have tried out surfing. We took some lessons and loved it. I look a bit like Bambi on ice but it’s been great fun and we’ve been back a few times. I’ve been doing the usual Zoom calls with friends too.
How do you stay motivated?
Motivation comes and goes for me, especially when I was working those long hours and coming back, I was exhausted. Sometimes, I had no motivation to work out. Having those friends around me have helped to keep me motivated. I would make a lot of to-do lists every day with what I want to achieve each day, even the most mundane tasks. It helps to be able to tick off each task as it pushes me on to do the next job. Social media is a massive factor; seeing that my friends have done a workout, I tell myself I need to exercise as well.
What have you been doing to stay fit – any tips you can share?
I have really good country lanes around the back of my house, so I’ve been doing a lot of running. That’s not something I’d think I’d ever say, but I’ve really enjoyed it! Once lockdown eased, I would have gone out with my team-mates, Neve Jones and Lauren Maginnes to do CrossFit workouts with them. Although I might have complained, they’ve been fantastic helping me keep fit. We found a big hill near the Lagan tow path which has steps where we’ve been doing hill sprints too. They’ve been short and sharp but we feel it the next day! The surfing is actually really tiring too!
What about any healthy eating advice? What’s the best meal you’ve made at home?
I would say the old cliché, eat everything in moderation. I wouldn’t go out and eat loads of rubbish food all day, every day. I’ve been really trying to eat well after training. That’s been one of my goals to eat properly after matches or training, if that means you have to come prepared with sandwiches or something. You notice the difference the next day if you have that nutrition in your body after training to help you recover. I love milk so I would have protein milk after training. They’ve been great for recovery. I’ve also been trying to drink a lot more water. I have a big 2-litre water bottle that I get through each day. Since I started that, I’ve noticed an improvement in my concentration and I feel a lot less tired too.
What do you do to relax?
I love music. It’s a really good way to relax for me; if I’m stressed, listening to music really helps calm me. I have a lot of projects too. I sit down and plan out things I’d like to work on, for example, if I want to re-decorate my room, I would look for ideas on Pinterest. It keeps me grounded and gives me something to be excited about.
Have you got any streaming or book recommendations?
I have been bingeing a lot on Netflix, watching crime documentaries. I love Grey’s Anatomy and Friends too. I wouldn’t read much except for when I’m on holiday!
What has been the best advice you’ve received?
What have been your proudest moments in rugby?
Being part of the 2016 Ulster U18 squad when we won the Inter-Pros was a special memory for me. Although I wasn’t able to play, I was very proud of the whole team and being part of that squad was brilliant. Another proud memory was when I got my first senior cap for Ulster when we played against Munster at Kingspan Stadium. My entire family and friends came to watch me. It was a surreal moment walking in and seeing my jersey hanging up and seeing my name in the match book, having a starting position. I was 18 at the time and a bit taken aback by it! I’ll always remember that day, running out onto the pitch.
Do you have a pre-match song you always listen to?
Some would say I’m the team DJ! I love putting playlists together for everyone. I’d bring a speaker and if we’re going on a busy journey, we’d get the music going. I wouldn’t have a specific song in mind but the playlist always gets us ready for games. Nobody has complained so far!
What are your rugby aspirations?
I’d like to play a season without getting injured! I’m trying to work on my mobility to prevent injury. When you get to provincial level, it doesn’t stop there. I can probably talk for most of the girls on the team when I say that once you get to this level, you want to push on and get onto that Irish squad and get the green jersey. Short-term, I just want to get myself fit and playing the best I can. I do have goals for the future, but at the moment I’m just working on myself.
How do you stay motivated?
Motivation comes and goes for me, especially when I was working those long hours and coming back, I was exhausted. Sometimes, I had no motivation to work out. Having those friends around me have helped to keep me motivated. I would make a lot of to-do lists every day with what I want to achieve each day, even the most mundane tasks. It helps to be able to tick off each task as it pushes me on to do the next job. Social media is a massive factor; seeing that my friends have done a workout, I tell myself I need to exercise as well.
What have you been doing to stay fit – any tips you can share?
I have really good country lanes around the back of my house, so I’ve been doing a lot of running. That’s not something I’d think I’d ever say, but I’ve really enjoyed it! Once lockdown eased, I would have gone out with my team-mates, Neve Jones and Lauren Maginnes to do CrossFit workouts with them. Although I might have complained, they’ve been fantastic helping me keep fit. We found a big hill near the Lagan tow path which has steps where we’ve been doing hill sprints too. They’ve been short and sharp but we feel it the next day! The surfing is actually really tiring too!
What about any healthy eating advice? What’s the best meal you’ve made at home?
I would say the old cliché, eat everything in moderation. I wouldn’t go out and eat loads of rubbish food all day, every day. I’ve been really trying to eat well after training. That’s been one of my goals to eat properly after matches or training, if that means you have to come prepared with sandwiches or something. You notice the difference the next day if you have that nutrition in your body after training to help you recover. I love milk so I would have protein milk after training. They’ve been great for recovery. I’ve also been trying to drink a lot more water. I have a big 2-litre water bottle that I get through each day. Since I started that, I’ve noticed an improvement in my concentration and I feel a lot less tired too.
What do you do to relax?
I love music. It’s a really good way to relax for me; if I’m stressed, listening to music really helps calm me. I have a lot of projects too. I sit down and plan out things I’d like to work on, for example, if I want to re-decorate my room, I would look for ideas on Pinterest. It keeps me grounded and gives me something to be excited about.
Have you got any streaming or book recommendations?
I have been bingeing a lot on Netflix, watching crime documentaries. I love Grey’s Anatomy and Friends too. I wouldn’t read much except for when I’m on holiday!
What has been the best advice you’ve received?
What have been your proudest moments in rugby?
Being part of the 2016 Ulster U18 squad when we won the Inter-Pros was a special memory for me. Although I wasn’t able to play, I was very proud of the whole team and being part of that squad was brilliant. Another proud memory was when I got my first senior cap for Ulster when we played against Munster at Kingspan Stadium. My entire family and friends came to watch me. It was a surreal moment walking in and seeing my jersey hanging up and seeing my name in the match book, having a starting position. I was 18 at the time and a bit taken aback by it! I’ll always remember that day, running out onto the pitch.
Do you have a pre-match song you always listen to?
Some would say I’m the team DJ! I love putting playlists together for everyone. I’d bring a speaker and if we’re going on a busy journey, we’d get the music going. I wouldn’t have a specific song in mind but the playlist always gets us ready for games. Nobody has complained so far!
What are your rugby aspirations?
I’d like to play a season without getting injured! I’m trying to work on my mobility to prevent injury. When you get to provincial level, it doesn’t stop there. I can probably talk for most of the girls on the team when I say that once you get to this level, you want to push on and get onto that Irish squad and get the green jersey. Short-term, I just want to get myself fit and playing the best I can. I do have goals for the future, but at the moment I’m just working on myself.