We Are Chelsea - We Are Chelsea LIVE with Anita Asante, Jodie Williams & Maggie Alphonsi

Episode Date: January 29, 2026

This is We Are Chelsea, the official podcast of Chelsea Women, brought to you in association with Škoda, the official car partner of Chelsea Women and proud supporters of women's sport. www.skoda.co.uk Em Wallbank brings you the latest live show at the Bridge, with a panel of women’s sports legends - Anita Asante (football), Jodie Williams (athletics) and Maggie Alphonsi (rugby union). How would they fare playing each other’s sports? What is the change like once an athlete retires? How hard actually is it to pass the baton in a relay? To watch the full episode on YouTube, click here: https://www.youtube.com/@chelseafcwomen/videosSend us your questions and Whistleblower dilemmas to [e-mail] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For two, we are Chelsea Live. It is great to have you all here at the bridge on Derby Day. Before we get started, a quick shout out. This podcast is brought to you in association with Skoda, the official car partner for Chelsea Women and proud supporters of women's sport. A big thank you to Skoda for their support in making today's live episode and the podcast itself possible. And also, thank you for the breakfast and snacks and stuff that very much appreciates.

Big old Skoda. Can we have a round of applause for Skoda? I am so excited. for today's episode, our guests are three absolute powerhouses in women's sport, each with really different journeys, but all of them shaped by competing at the very highest level, and I can't wait to chat to them. First up, we've got a Chelsea legend, a player who set the standards on and off the pitch, and who continues to be a powerful voice in the game. It's a former blue and former lioness. Please give it up for Anita Asante. How are you feeling?

I'm feeling great. Thank you. I'm excited to be here. Of course. Who isn't? I know. Are you excited to be here? and Derby Day as well. Do you know what? I've always filled with a bit of nerves as well, even though I'm not playing. It's out of my control. But yeah, who isn't excited?

Both my former clubs are playing, so it's a great game. And shall we ease the nerves by bringing out our second guest? Yeah, go on. Yeah, our second guest is someone who's paved the way across women's sport as a player, leader, and a trailblazer, former Red Rose and Rugby World Cup winner, Maggie Alfonzi. Morning, morning.

Morning. Are you excited to be here? I'm excited. I thought you said Trailblazer. I thought you said traitor. I thought I heard that former traitors coming out. I've always wanted to wear like a cloak and just carry the hands. Spoiler relate for the next season of celebrity traitors. Maggie Alfonzie. Throw it out there. Throw it into the ether. We want us to see there. And we're going to welcome our final guest. Last but not least, a former Team GB Olympian and one of the most exciting sprint talents of her generation is Journey Williams.

Look at this. This is the coolest panel ever, isn't it? This is so cool. Welcome to We are Chelsea. Are you all excited to be here? Very excited. Judy, you only got back from LA yesterday. I split my time between here in LA, so I got back. Flew in yesterday, flew in with my dog as well. So I know, shipped my dog over, so both of us have arrived safe and sound. Does that mean that you missed the Traitors finale?

It does. And you know what? I've seen... Don't say it, Jody. I know. Don't say it. My mum is obsessed. My mum and my sister send each other. They've got a screenshot of them with both their hoods up. So I've only seen one season. But I've got a cat.

I know, I know. I've got a catch up. I've got a disgrace. I know. Embarrassing. Maggie and Anita, did your commute involve an aeroplane today? Or was it a lot more local? How I got here, I came from High Wycombe. Fairly easy journey, not too bad.

I wish I'd come from L.A. I've been quizzing Jodie about L.A. I'm like, I'd love to have a house in L.A. But my journey here was fairly easy, not too bad I was on the train of lots of other people So I should have got a Chelsea flag I wanted to get a Chelsea flag And a Chelsea scarf

But I just I've been very uncommitted today I was cold I sacrificed it just to get here so Now there's no wrong answers but there is one right answer Who do you support? Chelsea Chelsea And what about you?

I'm a broadcaster so I'm always neutral Get off the fence. What was your journey in all right? My journey was smooth sailing from North West London where I grew up. Taxi driver asked me a bunch of questions like where we go in. Going to the bridge, of course,

and he's asking about women's football. But for me, that was great because to meet people like that and a normal journey in a morning like this where they get interested and suddenly he's like, okay, I'm going to tune in to this game. I was buzzing. It is. It's really great.

energy. I was sat on a tube this morning with lots of other Chelsea fans. I'm not sure if I recognise any of you. I haven't got my glasses on, so I can only see as far as my hand, really. But it's such a nice atmosphere to be surrounded by. It's a big crowd today, big occasion, London Derby Energy in the air. Anita, I want to come to you first. What does Adair like today at Sanford Bridge mean for Chelsea women? How different does it feel compared to when you were playing? Well, I think the magnitude of it's so much bigger now. You know, you get to play at the main stadium. get to see their faces all over the stadium, in the stadium, around the pitch, on the walk to the ground.

And they get that feeling of like real kind of responsibility, you know, like wearing the badge and what it means to represent this side of London on a derby day. So for me, I think it's amazing to see. It's what all the players, you know, former players wanted to see is this growth. And now we get to see it real time. So I know the players now will be absolutely, you know, buzzing for this game. We always talk about the international players that come into clubs as well and how they get, you know, informed about what a Derby Day is all about and what it means. And for most of us, it is more than just the game, right?

It's they want to perform, but it's about bragging rights. It's about, you know, turning London blue and all of that. So, yeah, I think it's, you know, it's a great occasion and it's wonderful for me now to be able to witness that. Yeah, there's a real sense of community and occasion now. and it's so nice to see that in the growth of women's sport, that we're seeing this boom in support for not even just individual teams, but just for the sport as a whole. How does that differ from when you were obviously playing football?

Well, I think it's the culture shift. I think there's been a massive culture shift. You know, when I was playing football, it was like, okay, a bit of an anomaly still to be a girl playing football, in school, in your local area, whatever. But now to see, you know, young men, young women, groups of dads, showing up to games, wearing the players' names in the back of their shirts, getting all the merch, not caring about what they look like,

get the socks on, get the hats on, get the gloves on, you know, all of that. That's what it's all about. It's creating that fandom, it's creating that community, and it's creating that sense of belonging and value that when young girls especially are watching on screen or they're going down their high street and they're seeing people from all backgrounds and demographics wearing their club's colours, they feel like, yeah, that's what my club's about.

And that's the club I want to be associated with. It's fantastic, and women's sport, I think in the last five years has had such a huge boom. All three of you competed at the very top of your sports, but I imagine in very different environments. Football and rugby have seen a lot of growth recently, and athletics has had Olympic recognition for quite a long time. You've all had really different timelines, but at the time you were competing, what did the landscape of women's sport feel like for you guys? We'll come to Jodie first. Yeah, I think it's interesting. Obviously, I come from a mixed. sport where we compete alongside the men, always competing on the same day in the same stadium.

So it's so interesting to see that shift in purely women's sport compared to what I was really fortunate to kind of grow up with. I think we've always kind of been on the same playing field as the men. Like I said, the stadium is always joint. So I feel really fortunate to have kind of experienced that. But I just think women's sport as a whole, to see the rise in recent years has been incredible. Like we said, traveling up today on the tube, the tubes were packed out. Everybody got off at the same stop.

Walking in, it just felt like, for me, I honestly, like, I felt really emotional walking in to see Just the scale of how far we've come has been really incredible. Pretty much the same in the sense that I've been really proud to see how much there's been such progress. So for me, when I first started playing, I was 13 years old. It was very rare for women and girls to play football, let alone rugby. So when I found the sport, my P teacher, who was a woman, was playing rugby. And she was like, do you know what, Maggie, should give that sport a go? And I was like, okay.

And I picked it up and I loved it. And then I started to see more, more women and girls play it. But what was really interesting at the time, it wasn't very visible. And again, women's football wasn't very visible. But that was, you know, a long time ago. And now we're seeing the coverage, we're seeing the sponsorship. We're seeing the, again, just general visibility. You know, obviously I'm speaking from a rugby perspective.

I'm very proud of where the Red Roses are at the moment. Previously, obviously, won the World Cup in the summer after the lionesses did their amazing thing. And it's just now building. So the Six Nations is the next thing coming up for women's rugby. The men go first and the women go after. And their first game is against Ireland. And they've got 50,000 people expect at Allian Stadium.

And I know in women's football it's quite common to get massive crowds. But actually for women's rugby to get that big crowd at the home of English rugby is quite significant. So it's progressing. The key thing that I always say in any women's sport is that we've got to keep banging the drums and keep the momentum going. We can't accept that this is great. We've sold out this much. And at Twickenham Stadium during the World Cup in the final, we had 89,000 people there,

which was the first, actually second time that year, the stadium had actually been sold out for any men's or women's game. But we have to keep that momentum going. That's really key to success of the sport, but for women's sport across all different versions. Yeah, and you were a part of a World Cup winning squad too, something that you mentioned,

the Red Roses did again over the summer. How difference has the response been from when you won. I know. Damn it, I wish I was still playing. Honestly. So we won it back in 2014. And back then it was huge, you know. So England women

have won the World Cup three times officially. They won it back in 1994. And no one would have known about it. Like, it was, unfortunately, there was no interest in terms of women's sport at that time. So then, you know, we come along 10 years later. Sorry, 10 years, 20 years later. And then we win ours after.

And actually, that was really significant. We started to get the coverage. We won Team of the Year at the BBC Sport personality awards. It was the first time they really had any women win that award. So it was all quite special, especially in rugby. We're all different sizes and shapes. And then we all had different successes in our careers when we all retired. But what's been great about now is that the women have won it and oh my God, they're all like celebrities now, which is great. They've all got a profile. People want to know about them and people want to come back and see

them again. So after one in 2014, I think it sort of dropped. off really. The interest wasn't really there. But what's been great about what they did in 2025 is that people are now going to come to watch the club games. Like we saw, obviously, in football, like people want to come watch the club games. They want to come watch internationals. They want to follow individuals. So Ellie Kiel Dunn. I don't know if any of you know of her. She was most recently up for sports personality of the year, obviously up against Hannah Hampton and Chloe Kelly. I can't lie, I'm quite pleased that she got, she came second. So, some people may question that, but she was brilliant. I was so proud of her because actually that

again shows sport as a whole is progressing in the right direction in terms of, you know, women getting the coverage and the visibility. Yeah, it's really, really exciting to see. And to be a part of that legacy must be such a big deal, knowing that you've helped pave the way for these other amazing women to come along. One thing that's really interesting with this panel this morning is we've got team sports and we've got an individual sport side by side. How different does that feel as an athlete competing as part of a team versus competing

mostly on your own? Give that one to you, Jo. It can actually be really tricky. There's a lot of politics that goes into the relay and the 401 and the 4x4. It's very difficult to wrangle all these individual personalities who are going for these individual goals and get them to all come together on work as a team is actually a really difficult thing. But I think over the years, especially on the women's side, we've done a really great job and now consistently winning medals at Olympic

and a world level and so I think that's really cool. I've got to ask Jody, I never understand in Relay, like the one job you've got to do, I know there's more that you have to do, but you've just got to pass...

Where is this going? You're just going to pass a baton round, okay? You just got to get it to these different hands. And I never understand when the baton drops. I was like, that's the one thing

that you've been training for for like such a long time. I mean, I'm not bringing it down just to just the baton being passed around. But I always find it amazing when it drops. I'm like, how can you drop it? Maggie, that's like saying

how can we miss an open goal? No, it's very true. Oh, like, Maggie, if you ever drop the ball? I never dropped the ball. As I would know, pass the ball to me, that's right. But I always think it's amazing. And I understand the pressure. It's very different.

And sometimes people come in and out, don't they? So the relay team isn't always the same for people. But wow, when they drop it, I'm like, oh, no. It's quite crazy. So the four by one is actually a very, very technical skill. You're traveling at such high speeds. And, like, the person coming in is running. at full speed and then the person coming out is obviously accelerating.

There's a huge amount of technical work that goes into that changeover and you'd be amazed at how much time we spend working on that but some teams don't. So for example the US and Jamaica, sorry, if anyone's watching from those teams I apologize, they don't train as much. A lot of the time because their top level athletes they have so much depth. So it's constantly changing. A lot of the times, the first time they've ever competed together is actually like on the day. So it really depends. But you'll see some countries that really prioritize the relay. GB is actually one of them. We have a really intense focus on our relay teams. You'll see some teams put an immense amount of, yeah, focus on that.

So we do a lot of training. We have a lot of like biomechanics involved in it. It's like, yeah, no, you've got teams of people out here with cameras. You've got people know all of these numbers about what's the, like, the batten travelling speed is like this huge thing. Like you've got to keep the baton travelling. You don't want that to stop. So there's a lot more that goes into it.

But the four by four is different. You're literally just, you're so tired by the end of a 400. You're begging this person to take it like, please save it off me. but yeah it's a little bit more technical than it seems but I think I have actually maybe drop the baton at least one time never a major champs though okay see if there's numbers involved this is why people shouldn't pass me

drinks on my side they're just going straight through you got the arm like that though you've got it out of that I'd have no way my hand-eye coordination is zilch if you two had to do an individual sport Do you think A, do you think you'd smash it and B, what sport would you do? Oh, that's a really good one. No, I think I would have liked to have done tennis

if I was to do an individual sport. Pop-off challenges. Because I love the sport. I love watching it. I love the intensity of it. I love the skill level. Do I think I could do it? No, because I love being in a team environment.

I love the changing room, camaraderie, the sisterhood that you get in that changing room. I think I went from a game where I had to do a lot of individually focused training at the beginning of my career, especially to play for England, where I'd have to go out and run on my own and, you know, in freezing cold weather and all of that. And I used to hate it because I'd be in my local area in a normal park doing all this stuff and people watching me. And I used to hate it because I'd be like, ah, they're looking at me thinking, what are you doing? Well, who is this plonker? You know, but the minute... That's what people look at me and think every time I do my job.

But the minute I was in a team environment where I could be around other people doing exactly the same thing as me, I felt like, okay, I'm in the right space, I get pushed, they push me, and yeah, it's just a completely different feeling. It's like really empowering when you're in that kind of position space. But I'll never knock individual athletes. I have so much respect for what they do because of the intense pressure and focus that's on them and the ability to compete, you know, with all of that scrutiny and all of those eyes on them as well and knowing they can only rely on themselves,

whereas I'm a defender, you know, I often would look to my teammate and be like, I've got this rapid player, say it was Sam or someone in training and be like, come on, mate, Millie, help me out here. You know, like, I got someone I can lean on, and I got teammates around me who could support me as well, so it's completely different. What about you, Maggie? What's what you going for?

John's funny, Anita in the Green one was like, I wouldn't play tennis, but I'd play padau. She didn't mention that, did she? This is a Padau world champion. So I actually did do individual sport beforehand. So actually, athletics was my thing. I grew up in North London. So I used to train in a place in Edmonton

where actually a lot of the Olympic athletes were based. Lee Valley, that's correct. We all trained there. So it's a great facility. So basically, I retired from rugby. I used to do athletics before. I was a shot putt and discers thrower. I know you're probably thinking she's really a sprinter,

but yes, these legs do say shot put and discers throwing. So I basically, after I retired from rugby, I went back into shot put and discers throwing. And I loved it because I get to show my own individual strength and power. But I found it incredibly hard because I was on my own.

You have a training group, you have a coach. But, you know, when you go from a rugby or a football group and, you know, use the word banter, but there's a lot of humour. There's a lot of humour. And, you know, I learned to just always smile every day because I'm surrounded by people who sometimes, you know, people might want to challenge you,

sometimes people want to make fun out of you. But either way, it was a nice group of people. It was my family. I always say they were a family. And then to go to be on my own, I found it really challenging. So I tried to get myself to the Olympics, actually, to the Rio Olympics. I know you're probably asking, did I make it? Well, actually, I failed.

I didn't fail. So did I. They don't do professional hobby horse in a point, apparently. I didn't fail, I've reassessed my goals actually, to be fair. But I was like, I'm not going to make it. I'm going to start saying that. I did love the whole focus on myself, but it was funny. My successes felt like it was just my own celebration

and my failures felt like my own sort of failures, where when I was in a group, when you fell out, it was really, in a weird way, you shared the burden. And then when you succeeded, it was great to succeed together. So I'm glad I had the experience, but I would always go back to being part of a team. I loved it. Absolutely loved it.

That takes us really nicely into my next question. One thing that comes up a lot with elite athletes is identity, because for so long you're known as the footballer, the rugby player, the sprinter, the athlete. Is there a moment where you thought, I'm not doing that anymore? Who am I? I struggled a lot with depression and anxiety when I was a younger athlete because I was experiencing these extreme highs. and then like the crashes afterwards were just so intense.

And it got to a point where I was just like, I can't keep doing this. I need to figure out who I am outside of this sport. I grew up very much in the media's eye and kind of felt like that was always, that pressure was always on me. So I really quite early on in my career wanted to challenge that identity

and started exploring myself outside of just being an athlete, which has made the transition a little bit easier. I retired 18 months ago now. Just, I know. Time has flown. Yeah, just after Paris Olympics. And even then, it's still been difficult, I think,

the lack of structure for me, actually. I thought I was a really disciplined person. I'm not. I'm not. I'm actually, I think sport was what was, like, having a coach to answer to is what, that's where the discipline actually came from. And I think, no, I'm so disciplined, like I'm going to wake up and I'm going to have all this structure.

Structure's gone out the window. So I think for me that was actually the hardest part is actually figuring out how to get that discipline back into my life post-sports. It's really refreshing to hear about the mental health aspect of how much pressure was put on you and that encouraging you to build relationships and build new ideas while she was still in the sport. speaking of coming into new areas through your sport, you obviously moved into media, Anita. Was that something that you forged while you were still playing football? Is it something that piqued your interest?

How did that journey come about? Yeah, it kind of came about, and you know, Jody talks about just like moving into that transition outside of playing. And I think for me, it's like you go through kind of a grieving process of this former identity that you had, as a footballer or whatever you perceive yourself to be. And you kind of just have to accept that and live through that. And I think quite early on in the last two years of my playing career,

I understood that I'm going to move into this next chapter. How can I build towards it? So I started to do things that at the time I didn't really realize it was kind of strategic. But in a way it was, you know, I no longer needed a football agent. I got a PR agent. I got someone that could put me into different spaces. in different rooms and she started to get me little gigs, you know, on Sky News or whatever,

talking about football or transfers or whatever. And I threw myself into a sort of a new space and a new world that was still very uncomfortable for me because I was like, you know, I'm not necessarily the one to stand up front and centre and talking from, you know, screens and cameras. But I started to do things that I felt would challenge me as well in a different way. And the more I put myself through it, the more I got, I learned whilst doing and also got more comfortable. And that helped me progress in the broadcasting area, because it allowed me to recognize the

value of my voice, but also the value of what I believe in about women's sport and actually what women can do more generally in the world. I think women, to the men in the room as well, that our allies are amazing. But I think women, when they come together, there's a unique power and a unique sense of what we can achieve together. And that's what entering the media world has allowed me to do, is showcase myself, but my background where I'm from, either way I look, the way I speak, whatever. And I think that's been the case for a number of women coming into the space.

I've got two follow-up questions to that. First one, when do you sleep? And the second one, what is it like as someone who isn't so used to be in front of the camera to then step in front of a camera and go on television for the first time? Yeah. Does anyone sleep anymore? Does anyone sleep anymore, especially those with children? People keep telling me you won't get that back till they're like at least 18.

But no, I think what is it like? It's scary, but there's like an adrenaline as well. You know, I got that adrenaline from playing in big games and come into stadiums and all the prep that goes into it. But TV's a bit like that because you walk into a stage and it's live TV and anything can happen. And anyone can ask you a question. Things can go wrong. Maggie can attest to this.

And you've just got to be on it. You've got to be sharp. You've got to trust your knowledge. You've got to trust that you're there because you know what you're talking about and you're passionate about what you're talking about and you want to bring everybody else into this space with you. When I talk about football, I want people listening to go,

yeah, like, I'm really interested in this sport. I want to know more about those players. I want to come back to this program. So that's what it does. and then for me it was like, okay, I'll just do it again, put myself through it. Because I think like any performers, whether you're a musician, you know, creative person, they all talk about getting anxiety or anxious nerves and things like that. It's how you harness it that is the difference.

I think we all experience that because we're human, but once the way you use it is what is powerful. It's really interesting as well here in the different pathways that people take after sport. Maggie, you have always been seen as this sort of like natural leader. How did that shape where your journey went after rugby? Yeah, it's really interesting. So I retired way back in 2015. And people still ask me now, do you still play rugby?

And I'm like, oh, thank you very much. If I still look like it, it's good. But when I retired, again, women's sport was still sort of on its way up, football, rugby, all the sports were still on their way up. So we won the World Cup 2014 and then I retired. And by then, by chance, I moved into a broadcasting. So I remember getting a phone call from the ITV director saying, Maggie would love you to be one of the pundits on the men's rugby world cup, which was in 2015 in England.

And I was like, whoa, I've not played men's rugby before. And I don't think I could do this. I'm a little bit shy. So, no. And then I stopped on the fault way. I've won a Rugby World Cup. My identity is that I'm an athlete. I know rugby.

I know this thing. I should be fine with this. And then I did it. And I, you know, it wasn't perfect. I had some ups and had some downs. I mean, I was the first female to ever be a pundit on any men's, like, rugby at that time. Which is insane. It was crazy. I mean, I'm not going to lie to. The first game I got was, I think it was Italy versus Romania. I was like, oh my God, I'm not going to get any names right. I'm going to completely mess it up. But I was like, you've got to put yourself in these environments, challenge yourself. And it's amazing. I took that first step. And then you started to see more women come on. So then Alex Scott got onto football, because there was no women on football talking about men's football or women's football at the time. It was really quite, it wasn't really popular at the time. So just taking that first step, others follow. And it was really good now. Now you see there's a variety.

of people talking women's and men's football and men's and women's rugby etc but um my identity had to change and i had that imposter syndrome like i doubted myself all the time and even to the point where i tried to be like some of the lads i was like right chat about rugby with the lads and then i realized this is just so not me i've got to be myself so now i'm very authentic so same when i talk to anita about it when i'm on tv so the next thing i'm doing now is the men's six nations which kicks off in about two weeks the first game i've got is england versus wells i'll be pitch side. And I can't lie to on TV I'll be like

in my head I'm thinking say the right things, say the right things I'm panicking but then when you start to speak you just be yourself and you just talk about what you love and what you know and people will challenge you on social media because that's what social media does for you but actually now my identity is now is that I back myself, I'm a broadcaster I'm very much

confident about it and I say it with confidence but also I love governance so supporting the game and trying to challenge it and improve it but also academia is my thing as well, so education. So I'm now a doctor, a doctor of philosophy more than anything.

Can we get a cheer for that? Because that's insane. Thank you very much. Actually, I would expect more than a clap. I would actually expect you to bow down to me, but it's fine. Yeah, if everybody just wants to stand and bow. You don't have to do that.

But now it's for all athletes, and even work of athletes who are coming through the process now, it's trying to say to the transition, you're not retiring, you're evolving. What's your next chapter? It's really exciting. You never stop, never stop.

never stop learning, as I always say. So I always think for the athletes when they come out now, you go, oh, there's so much opportunities for you now, which we probably didn't have when we've retired. This podcast is brought to you by Scoda, the official car partner of Chelsea Women and proud supporter of women's sport. It's football season. It's time for after work training, muddy boots,

and early morning weekend games. Whether you play five aside after work, cheer the kids on from the sidelines on a Saturday morning, or gather with your mates to watch the big leagues every weekend. Scoda's the perfect companion for your everyday adventure. skip around town in your all-electric eniac or give the squad a lift home in the seven-seater to co-de-ac. There's something in the range to suit teams of all shapes and sizes. Don't just take my word for it though. Search the scurda range today to jump in and see for yourself.

One of the big things that is talked about now as well is supporting players and supporting athletes beyond their careers. Chelsea have got initiatives like the players trust to support their players when they stop playing. What did the support network look like for you guys when you guys finish your sport? Jodi, we'll come to you first. Yeah, it's been interesting for me because I think I took a bit of a different path. Like I've kind of stepped away from sports completely. Yeah, because she's a business home. She's a woman in business.

We love this. Which I think it's actually, it's really exciting. I'll let you guys know what I'm doing. So I started a magazine. It's a space for women of colour to tell their stories. something I'm really passionate about. It definitely aligns with kind of what I was doing when I was an athlete.

I've always been really passionate about women in general, girls especially. And I think for me, and I will get back to actually answer the question. It's fine, plug that magazine. Women in representation, both things that very much matter. I think I will get back into sports through that kind of grassroots level.

for girls. I think that's really where my passion lies. I've never been hugely, I love elite sport. I think it's great. But I think for me, my greatest passion for sports is really getting young girls into sports and keeping them in sports, not necessarily to be professional athletes. I think that's something that's really important. I think there's some really great avenues now for girls to get into professional sports. I think they've got so many incredible role models and someone more visibility now but I also think it's really important for girls just to play sport purely for enjoyment and for the amount of incredible tools and skills that it gives you but I will say it has gotten a lot better like the support for

transitioning athletes there's so many more resources now than there ever were especially for women in sport which I think is really cool yeah and you're definitely helping pave the way for that growth and Maggie and Anita what what was that journey with support like for you guys? I'll start off. Because your microphones down here, so I'm assuming that you want me to go first. There was very limited, to be fair,

when I stepped out of the world, stepped out into the world. We've had the RPA, so the Rugby Player Association, their body that pretty much support players that are retiring and during their career as well. So there was a level of support, but the reality was it was still down to you

to find your path, really. And even now, there's loads more support for athletes, but I still say to the rugby players, you know, be accountable, like take control of it. If you can start preparing at least a year out before you retire, you can start to network. And when you're an athlete, I'll be very open, honest, you've got sponsors there, you've got some amazing people who are really big influencers, and I always say to athletes, start to get to know them, like have the coffee chat with them, you know, network. And then all of a sudden you can create opportunities for yourself when you do come out of your sport.

So I guess at the time when I was retiring, probably similar to Anita, I had to work hard to find my next step. And it did come by a bit of chance, but actually I worked really hard to really create those opportunities. But athletes now, I think they've got a good mix of both. They've creating their own opportunities, but they've also got a lot more help out there. But I always say, like, own it. It's really important to own it and utilise your network. Yeah, I'd agree with Maggie. I think there are so many different organisations now.

Obviously, they have clubs at the disposal. You've got all these operations within clubs. You've got CEO levels to operations, to management, to catering staff. So there's so many things that athletes can actually tap into if they're guided by their own passion and their own force, like to look forward to the future. We obviously have the PFA, the Players Football Association, that can cover lots of different areas, whether that's mental health or, you know, injuries or moving forward into the next career transition.

Feefef Pro, I did early work with when I first stopped playing, who would talk about all areas of equity, equality for women in football, and financial acumen and things like that. But I think it's really important that athletes also just recognize the strength of their own kind of abilities and their value and really go after that and be proactive as well, because there are all these institutions, but the only person that can actually make it happen is you.

and that is talking to the right people that is sometimes forcing your way into a room by hounding someone but in a polite way about a conversation or emailing people and I think saying yes to as many things that come their way as possible whether you think you have a lot of knowledge

you have limited knowledge you think you can do something or you can't do something it's saying yes and going I'm going to put myself in that position to try and see where it leads me as well It is so interesting hearing about that journey, but it is now time for some fan questions. Are you ready? No. No.

We'll ease you in. The questions we've got from fan. Thank you so much, guys, for sending these in. Let's see what you want to ask. I'm slightly scared. Some serious journalism to start with. If you were going to be on the traitors, would you rather be a traitor or a faithful? Great question.

I'll go first. I would be a traitor, absolutely. I'd want to be the secret traitor. I think Fiona let us down. She could have gone further in the traitors, and she just got really anger at Rachel, and then that went back bide on her. But I'd totally love to be a traitor.

I want a cloak. I've always wanted to cloak. What's your strategy going to be? What, you haven't noticed? I think, I mean, other people's thoughts definitely welcomed here. But the best traitors are the ones that sort of, like, stay a little bit quiet.

I mean, Stephen came under the radar for so lot under the radar. Didn't get noticed until a little bit later on. Rachel was like very smart so she played it well in a different way but I always say I'd play it quiet for a little bit I'll be a bit shy and then as people start to dwindle out I'd start to bring it to the forefront but you've got to be careful you've got to strike a balance I mean we saw what happened with Joe Marla in a celebrity one he came out and then all of a sudden you know he could have won that so you've got to manage it as a straight and a safe name of his kid calling Nick and ringing him and being like why did you kill my daddy is one of the fun things to come out of the internet in 2025, I think. It really, really made me laugh. I would love to be a traitor as well, but I took inspiration from Cat Burns because I see a lot of myself, personality-wise, in her, but she was just so smooth, wasn't

she? She was just, like, cool and calm and collected and just played a real good game, and I just feel like that would be me, and then in the end, you'd just come out of the blocks and be like, I'm here, you know? You don't want to be like Alan Carr? Sweating all the time. I'll do it all the time. I loved it with Alan Cole and they were like, are you a faithful? Or you're at the end?

And he was like, I'm a faithful, but he said it in the most funniest way. You're like, you are totally, that is so a traitor. You're so a traitor, but no one could guess. And Alan Cole all the way. He was a menace. I'd be a traitor too. What's the point in playing if you're not going to be a traitor? You know, also we were talking about we both want cloaks.

Yeah. I think that's the biggest thing. I want to have the experience of walking with my lamp into the little room. Maybe we get them for the podcast. Skirder, can you get us some branded clothes? And can you get... Yeah, and can you get Claudia Winkelman here as well? I mean, you're really good, but I love Claudia as well.

You two would be pretty, you can work together. If somebody passes me some scissors, I will cut myself a fringe. I have done it before. I did it at 3 o'clock in the morning. It looked terrible, but, you know, I'll do it again. Here's another great question. Wait, wait, wait, what about you? Oh, see, I'd want to be a traitor, but I'd want to be a traitor,

but I'm a really bad liar, like really, really bad. So I think I'd have to be a faithful just on the knowledge that I am so bad at lying. This is a great one. What animal would you say you are on the pitch or on the track and why? That's a great one. I'm a slov.

I ain't going nowhere. If I'm running, you lot need to be running. I feel like I'd be some... I can't say cheetah because I feel like that's a bit too often. I'm also not really like a pure sprinter, I'm a longer sprinter. So maybe like a, something in the cat family, like a big, like a leopard. Yeah. Something along those lines.

They're very cute. Yeah. I do feel like they try to eat me at any given opportunity, but wow I want to cuddle one. Yeah. They just want a little... Exactly, a little chin scratch. Yeah. Yeah.

You just want to like pick up the paw and put it on the face? and hope that they don't mole you. This is why I'm not going to live very long. I think I'd be an owl because I played, you know, my role as a centreback, centre midfield, a defensive mid, and it was always, I think owls are so intelligent. Like they'd sort of just reading and sussing out things and waiting for the right moments to strike on their prey. And I think, you know, people wouldn't describe me as the one going in for those massive sly

tackles but I was always there to intercept and come out of pressure, you know, with composure. So I'd probably go for an owl. Yeah, and they've got really spinny heads as well. And they've got spinny heads. You've got your head on a swivel. That's what I was saying to our players all time. Scan, you scan, scan, scan. I've got two younger sisters, spinny-headed have done me as wildegers when they were nicking out of my wardrobe. What about you, Maggie Lee? What are you going for? I'm between two at the moment, but I can't really sort of define my position. So first one would be a peacock. And I know you're thinking, Peacock, how is that going to fit into rugby?

But, you know, they're so, they look really lovely and all of a sudden they just, they put all their feathers out and you're like, whoa, back off. They're scary. Have you ever encountered one at a petrol station? No, I'm not a petrol station? A petrol station? What petrol station? What petrol station do you? Elaborate?

It's a blur. I used to, I used to gig for a living. This is going to make me sound like a right. I used to gig, I used to be one of them, Nath tribute. I actually see it Avon and Butlins, yeah. You can see it now, can't you? That's where she gets the delusion. confidence from

and I do not remember where in the country it was but I remember seeing one at a petrol station and I went I know why I'm here why are you here? You don't need

diesel, do you? Did it's Fetvets come up at you? Yeah. I was like me? It's a weird time of the day for you to be flashing me like this in a petrol station of all places keep it away, lad.

But Pee-Cops do make you kind of go well, back off. Yeah, especially in the petrol station. I mean, totally I'd back off like I'd just leave leave my car there. I've seen an horse in her hospital, isn't it? Why are you there?

My second one would be, you know, like those lizards, those reptile lizards which run, the thing around their head comes out and then they run from it. They look like them things from Jurassic Park. Do you know what I mean? Is anyone who a picture of what I'm seeing?

Yeah. Does anyone know what animal is on about? It's like a lizard which runs upright. Where's David Attenborough when you need him? It's one of those which I think, I wouldn't run away, because my job I was number seven, so my job is to tackle the number 10,

the fly half because they make all the decisions. But I can see myself running out a fly half like that and just putting them off and then just dropping the ball. So I think those two would be my chosen ones. I urge someone in this room to go and find the Maggie Alfonso rugby best bits and put them alongside a visio with a lizard. Just a lizard. Just for reference.

How do you think you'd have all done at each other's sports? Maggie, you gave a big talk about the baton pass earlier. Yeah, oh yeah. I think you've got a point to bring. Yeah, I couldn't do relay too. I just throw it. I just don't get it. I just can't.

The baton has got to be in contact at all times. That's the shot put her in. It's so true. It's so true. And the baton's so light, isn't it? It's very light and surprisingly small. Sorry, I would answer your question. What sport would I do?

I would, I think I actually would love to give, I'd love to give athletics a go again. I have to say, I think athletics in particular, you all look like gladiators. You just look amazing. They all look amazing. Just for the athletic. Yeah, I just think, oh, I want to be a gladiator. I do the first leg and then I'd just hand it over to you guys and go, come on. Get us back in the race.

I'll be there for moral support. I'm really good at that. If you stand me with like a bag of chocolate or something. Final fan question, we're at Stamford Bridge, obviously. Massive turnout. What difference does a good home crowd make? It's a good question. Well done.

A massive difference, massive difference because I think when you play in front of your home crowd, you have that feeling, of course, that everyone's behind you, they're supporting you, they will do you in every action, you know, whether that's a pass, a tackle, a run, when you're knackered and your decision-making's going in, suddenly you find that extra burst of energy because they're cheering for you, they're on their feet, and also they work for you. So they're working to put off the opposition, you know, whether they're, you know, ingest, mocking them or whatever.

All of that plays into the spirit of the game and the energy and actually momentum swings of a game. Sometimes you could be down and out and suddenly the crowd are behind you, your home fans, and you find that extra bit of energy to go and do that sprint when your legs are on fire, you know, or you can't communicate and you're breathing out of your backside and you're just like, all right, I've got to do this now.

So massive difference. And I think when we talked about winning and losing as a team, you win and lose are your fans as well. They feel it. They're going off dissecting the games. I like an extension of the team. They're extension of the team. They're dissecting the game and those moments and their best bits and all of that stuff as well. So, yeah, I think, yeah, a huge difference.

Well, unfortunately, we have come to the end of our live podcast. But can we have a huge round of applause for you guys for making your way out this morning? You've been a great audience. You've given us some great questions. And can we have a huge round of applause for our... amazing panel of guests. And a final massive round applause to Skoda for bringing

today's episode and the whole podcast to life. Thank you Skoda. Thank you for keeping me employees. Thank you, Skoda. Thank you, Skoda. It has been an absolute pleasure to be here with you all this morning. This has been, We Are Chelsea, sponsored by Skoda. Go Chelsea! Woo! Thank you so much. Enjoy the rest of your day.