Sweden will welcome the Netherlands and Portugal in this year’s Women’s Rugby Europe Championship and will be ready to conquer their first win since joining the competition.
But to achieve that goal they need the input of their most talented athletes, like Maja Meuller who shared with us about her origins, challenges and journey.
First, how special was it to play for her country for the very first time when she was selected to play in the Trophy division back in 2021.
“It was an incredible sensation. I feel so proud every time I play for my country. It doesn’t matter if the sport is vastly popular and supported, you are representing your country something that only a few will be able to have the opportunity to do. I enjoy so much playing for Sweden, and I can represent my country doing the thing I like the most.”
She adds what were and still are her goals as a Swedish international.
“I want to leave the shirt in a better place. I want to be a player that others will look up to for whatever reason. I want to work as hard as I can and pour my heart and soul to leave a benchmark for others to follow.”
Meuller, who has represented her team as a 7s and XVs international, explains how vital the Women’s Rugby Europe Championship has been for her country.
“So important! It makes it more accessible for nations like Sweden to play a high level of rugby, as players can see a pathway to a bigger stage. Knowing that we have a competition like the Championship to work towards provides extra motivation. For those who strive for more, the Women’s Rugby Europe Championship allows you to try high-level rugby, pushing the local game to progress. It gives us more exposure; we can connect with players from all over the country; and we have an opportunity to work our skills to a higher degree in the national camps.”
For this season Sweden will host two fixtures from the Women’s Rugby Europe Championship, with Portugal and the Netherlands travelling to the Trelleborg Rugby Arena. Does she believe they will boost their name recognition?
“It is hard to say as we haven’t had the chance to host that many games, but last year we played in Trelleborg and the good amount of supporters that we had on the stands was important for us. If we get more exposure, it can help the sport become more popular. The Swedish rugby community is incredible as everyone helps each other and there’s a real sense of community. It is going to be big playing two home games this year!”
In Meuller’s opinion, has rugby experienced growth in Sweden, especially in the youth grades?
“It has improved, especially the excitement around the sport and understanding what rugby is all about. One of the biggest obstacles in Sweden was the limited number of players. It is difficult to progress without having big numbers, mainly in the women’s game. However, it is interesting that because of those short numbers, girls like me had to practice with seniors way ahead of time and helped us improve and develop as players in a quicker way.”
Talking about youth grades and starts, how was it for the Harlequins backrower? When did it all start?
“It’s a short and long story at the same time. Rugby is quite small in Sweden, but in the town where I was brought up, Vänersborg, it had a well-established club that’s recognized all over the country. I had a childhood friend who played rugby since she was 10, and when we went to the same school some years later, she tried to convince me to join the sport. I always loved team sports, and I was at the time doing team gymnastics, so I wasn’t convinced. I thought rugby was dangerous and brutal, but I gave it a shot and… it didn’t click right away. I stayed with gymnastics for one more year, and then I tried again, and I became immediately hooked.”
And what emotions transpired from her first-ever rugby practice?
“Confusion mixed with excitement. The way that everyone just seemed to connect had a big pull on me. Yeah, I had done team gymnastics, but rugby’s tightness as a community and sense of belonging made me want to be part of it. I also wanted to learn new things and rugby could provide that as well. I remember that in my first practice we were just three or four girls, so we had to join the boys’ team, and I felt a huge sense of commandery and that social part that rugby is recognized for.”
After going through the ranks and reaching the Swedish national setup, Meuller departed in 2021 to England to enrol at Loughborough University as an exchange student. Even if she didn’t intend to play rugby at a top level, destiny had other ideas.
“The COVID lockdown came, and I couldn’t practice or play rugby, so Sweden’s head of performance called the Loughborough Lightning head coach and asked if me and Amanda [Swartz] could train in their gym to keep Sweden's 7s programme alive. At first, it was just gyming and then we were invited to do some skills drills, and after we were fully involved in the team practice. After a couple of weeks, I saw my name on the team sheet and was ‘What is happening?’. It was one of those moments. It is mad to just think about it. Sliding doors and all!”
In a matter of weeks, she went from playing at a university level to having her first shot at the Premiership Women’s Rugby, scoring a try in her debut for the Lightning. So, how did she feel in that moment?
“Two words: nervous and confusing. As I was walking into the locker room I kept saying to myself ‘Can I really do this?’. I was very nervous and Sarah Hunter, who was a player-coach at the time, came up to me and calmed my nerves, reassuring me that I was good enough to be there and that I fully deserved the chance. On the pitch, I don’t remember how much game time I got. I came into the backrow, and I was a bit confused with my role in the team plays, etc. A couple of minutes later we set up a maul near the opposition’s in-goal area. I joined the maul and got the ball under my arm. And suddenly someone shouted ‘Go, go, go!’ and I misunderstood it and just exited it. Fortunately, I ran and dived to score my first try. However, the idea was to keep the ball in the maul, not going out!”
Meuller is widely recognized as a talented runner and proficient tackler, two crafts she has polished over the years. Was she ‘born’ with that talent to tackle down any and every ball carrier?
“Oh, it took time to refine it. You might not believe it, but I was scared of tackling in the beginning. You go to your first training sessions and see someone running towards you, and you wonder ‘How am I going to stop them?’. That’s a scary thought. I definitely picked up with time, I wasn’t a natural physical tackler.”
After three seasons with the Loughborough side, Harlequins approached the utility forward with a contract, a move she deemed dreamlike.
“Almost unreal. When they first called me, I thought ‘Do you have the right person?’. The imposter syndrome sometimes catches up with you. It was amazing to have the opportunity to play for such a prestigious club, with a long history. It was a big move, as I didn’t know what to expect. I was a bit nervous, as I had to move from Sweden again to the unknown. Fortunately, it has become a second family, with Laura Delgado and Claudia Peña-Hidalgo, and my cottages mates. I was sad when the season ended. I wanted more. Sometimes when you get caught up in it, you really don’t think too much about it, so it is important to stop for one moment and reflect, to understand the size of it all.”
Going back to her time as a Swedish international, can she pick her favourite game?
“I have two games that I remember fondly, for different reasons. In 2023 we played against Hong Kong China in Amsterdam, and it was a match scheduled at the last hour. We didn’t have the whole team available, but we wanted to play, and it ended up being a greatly enjoyable sensation. We didn’t win it, but we felt free. We had proper fun in that game. The second one was against Spain in last year’s Women’s Rugby Europe Championship. We lost, yes, but we all felt improvement from the first two games. Also, I played in the back line for the first time in my life! It was a massive change of pace. It was unusual for me, but it was memorable.”
And can she define what it is to be a Swedish international in one word?
“Pride.”
And a last thought she would like to share with the younger crowd who’s thinking about joining the oval ball sport?
“Give it a go and give your best show, as you will never know what will happen. I have hesitated so many times, and so I say to myself every day to take the risk and just go for it.”
By Francisco Isaac
