AMEE LEIGH MURPHY Crowe has the blinkers on. Head up, eyes darting straight ahead focusing on each individual stride as much as the finish line.
Kazan is nobody’s idea of a dream-fulfilling location, but by next Sunday evening it could prove to be just that for Murphy Crowe and Ireland’s Sevens sorority.
The 24-year-old Tipperary woman finished this year’s World Series as the tournament’s leading try-scorer. Touching down 35 times, edging ahead of New Zealand’s Michaela Blyde and Canada’s Bianca Farella, was a phenomenal feat and made Murphy Crowe the first woman from beyond Australia or New Zealand to finish as top try-scorer.
She is almost as proud of the achievement as her family are of her. Not that anyone connected to the Clanwilliam flyer would allow feet to drift off the ground before tomorrow brings the trek to the European leg of Olympic qualifiers.
“They (her family) are pretty grounded, like I am. They are very proud, but they wouldn’t be throwing a party for me, because they know I wouldn’t want that,” the prolific Murphy Crowe tells The42.
“But my mam is looking for more shelves now in the house.”
“It was huge honour to get. It hasn’t really sunk in because our focus is these two tournaments, and I don’t like to think outside of those boxes.
“I’ll enjoy it in the summer, on our off-season… I’ll probably appreciate it more when I don’t have an Olympic qualifier to focus on. That’s just a huge thing for us to build for.”
The 24-year-old won’t speak about the individual achievements or her nomination into the tournament team of the year without a hefty dose of credit for the work her team-mates put in to set her clear.
It isn’t hard to downplay her gongs. Her humility comes easy and the trait is shared throughout the women’s squad.
Murphy Crowe credits an early experience in athletics with giving her tools and technique to build her speed, but found it tough to square off the individualistic nature of sprinting.
Rugby is a different animal.
“The team environment is much better. There’s 23 girls on our panel and to be doing something like that (qualify for the Olympics) for those girls who have to stay at home, the girls who are injured long-term – it’s a hard thing to accept when you’re injured or not selected – so doing it for them is huge
Then going out on the field and doing it for the six girls beside you is a huge moment.”
“We all get along really well. I think it’s because we’re all going for the same goal. We all want to be at the Olympics.
“So we’re all on the same page, the same level and so it’s easy to bond with a team then, knowing everyone’s going to work really hard to achieve what we want to achieve.”
As a junior track athlete, Murphy Crowe was raised in an era when Usain Bolt showed that incredible things can start in rural towns in island nations. So sealing a Tokyo 2020 place by winning the tournament and taking the only berth on offer next weekend would represent a ‘dream come true’ for Murphy Crowe, but also propel Sevens squarely into the limelight of public consciousness.
Not that she needs any more fame according to her youngest sister, eight-year-old Lily Ella.
“They’re always YouTubing me,” she says with a laugh, “the younger ones go to the same school and everyone’s always telling them ‘your sister’s famous!’
“And Lily Ella is always embarrassed. She doesn’t get it, the whole World Series rugby and that. She just thinks I come home at the weekend and play with her.”
Home to visit, play and maybe get a few tips on how to celebrate tries.
Murphy Crowe has made a trademark celebration of a clenched-fist elbow drop and credits her sister for its invention. But while watching Ellen White celebrate her disallowed World Cup semi-final goal during England’s loss to the USA in, she found that she dare not claim ownership.
“I says, ‘who’s celebration is better’ and (Lily Ella) goes ‘mine!’ So it’s her celebration.”
Murphy Crowe cherishes those moments outside of what can be an intense elite sport bubble when living with four fellow Sevens stars.
Yett popping out of the bubble isn’t appealing when she can see and feel the benefits manifest in more than just her impressive try-scoring numbers.
“I wasn’t this size or weight when I joined the programme, I’ve put on good size and, with nutrition, I’ve gotten my weight up to a good standard to perform at a World Series level.”
The Olympic motto – faster, higher, stronger – suits her to a tee.
