Mum mucks in with her coaching message for the stars of the future

When Mark Twain wrote, 'My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it' he could just as well have had mini-rugby coaching in mind, for the quote describes the sentiments of Sally Dellow. Mother-of-two Dellow spends Sunday mornings and part of the Sevens in all kinds of trouble: hot, dirty, yelling loudly - and thoroughly enjoying it.

One of a handful of female coaches involved with Hong Kong mini-rugby and the only female coach with the Sai Kung Stingrays Under-9 squad, Dellow's involvement with the sport began three years ago when her son, Flynn, was six and daughter Eliza was seven. 'I couldn't sit on the sidelines watching the men 'herd cats', so I started to help. The next thing I knew I was a coach and being handed a pair of bad shorts to wear! It's fantastic fun - a wonderful way to spend time with my children,' Dellow says.

Ironically, she is also a coach all week, albeit a more grown-up kind. 'For work, I'm an executive coach. There are parallels. Both types of coaching are about motivating people, and helping them think about what they're doing and how they can do it better,' she says.

Surrounded by excited young players and still in her kit after coaching a hard-fought mini-rugby game, Dellow laughs: 'The Sevens is a real highlight for them. They all want to play for Hong Kong some day. Rugby is a great metaphor for life: taking the knocks, getting back up and playing on. Part of my role is to help the young players build the skills and courage to go into a tackle.

'I tell the kids that 'the bigger they are, the harder they fall'. And as I'm the smallest coach in the squad, the kids love to take me on. After sending me face first into the mud a few times, they're ready to take on anyone!'