Former Student Inspires the Next Generation of RGS Cricketers

This week, we were delighted to welcome back former pupil and trailblazer Olivia Robinson (1995–2007), whose cricketing journey has taken her from being the School’s first-ever female player to County cricketer, mental health advocate and now long-distance walker for charity.

Currently walking over 1,000 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats, Olivia is raising funds for Chance to Shine, a national charity that uses Cricket to empower young people through sport. Along the way, she will visit Cricket clubs and schools to share her story and inspire more girls to get involved in the game, while raising £20,000 for the charity.

Olivia took time out from her journey to spend the morning with the RGS Girls’ Cricket team, sharing memories, advice and plenty of inspiration. “Cricket was my community”, she told pupils. “When I was going through a really tough time with anorexia and had to take time out of school for treatment, the game gave me a reason to fight back. Sport helped me reconnect with myself.”

Pupils heard stories from her early days playing village Cricket at Hanley Castle as the only girl in the team, saying: “They didn’t quite know what to do with me!”, and about her RGS debut, when nerves got the better of her and she was run out without facing a ball. “I cried behind a tree for hours”, she laughed. “But I kept going. That’s Cricket – it teaches you resilience.”

Now based in Perth, Australia, Olivia works as a massage therapist for professional athletes. Her experiences have taken her from County Cricket with Worcestershire to state Lacrosse and sports massage work for the Australian Women’s Big Bash League. “You don’t have to be elite in one sport”, she reminded pupils. “Being active, being part of a team – that’s what matters.”

She spoke warmly of the progress at RGS since her time at school, saying, “It’s incredible to see a Girls’ Cricket team here now as just another normal part of school life – you are making history just by playing.”

Throughout her walk, Olivia is leaving behind miniature drawings at each club, a Cricket ball and bat tucked away in a corner as a lasting marker of her visit. “It’s a little piece of joy”, she said. “A symbol of connection, left behind for someone to discover.”

The girls left the session buzzing with excitement, with several sharing their own experiences of playing County Cricket. As the morning came to a close and Olivia set off on foot towards her next stop in Bewdley, she reflected: “Worcester was the one-third mark of the journey, and it was the perfect place to rest, reconnect and remember why I’m doing this.”

To find out more about Olivia and her charity walk, please visit: tinyurl.com/yc4mnjx5