Sammy is the living reply to those who say the women's game, though stylish, has no element of aggression. This was a good-humoured match between clubs with a tradition of friendly rivalry, but still she hobbled off with her legs a mass of ugly bruises, stud marks, scratches and grazes. I like the physical side of things. Even when I played netball I found myself barging into people. She will go in where others fear to tread.
Every team needs a couple of players like that, but for captaincy different qualities are required.
Her story is quite typical. She started off kicking the ball around with other boys and girls, and never quite stopped. It wasn't until I was about 12 that I suddenly realised that everyone else was a boy. I hadn't thought twice about it until then. At 18, she was on a tour of Italy with the club when a team in Calabria asked her to stay and play in their women's league.