{"id":62288,"date":"2022-02-15T12:37:40","date_gmt":"2022-02-15T12:37:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/?p=62288"},"modified":"2022-02-15T12:40:38","modified_gmt":"2022-02-15T12:40:38","slug":"abbie-fleming-from-the-pandemic-frontline-to-playing-in-the-six-nations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/2022\/02\/15\/abbie-fleming-from-the-pandemic-frontline-to-playing-in-the-six-nations\/","title":{"rendered":"Abbie Fleming: From the pandemic frontline to playing in the Six Nations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Llandaff North alumna is one of the players awarded a semi-professional WRU contract<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

AS large sporting events return in Wales, it can be easy to forget how divided the country became when sport was first cancelled. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While some pushed for restrictions to keep us safe, others thought those measures were unnecessary, particularly outdoors, and pushed for exceptions for sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But as a rising Welsh rugby star and a frontline NHS worker, Abbie Fleming was right in the middle of this debate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abbie made national news<\/a> when she became one of the women to receive a retainer contract with the Welsh Rugby Union last month. She is now paid to compete semi-professionally with the Wales team <\/strong>while continuing her work as a physiotherapist in Exeter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just before the pandemic hit, the flanker received <\/em><\/strong>her first cap for Wales in Madrid at the 2019 autumn Internationals, a milestone in her career. But she wouldn\u2019t see another opportunity like this until nearly two years later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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