{"id":820,"date":"2025-10-27T09:10:35","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T09:10:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dutchrugbymag.com\/?p=820"},"modified":"2025-10-27T13:48:01","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T13:48:01","slug":"impressive-impeccable-inger-a-stellar-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dutchrugbymag.com\/?p=820","title":{"rendered":"Impressive, Impeccable Inger \u2013 A Stellar Season"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When you think of the rising stars driving women\u2019s rugby forward in the Netherlands, one name stands tall quite literally. Inger Jongerius<\/strong>, the powerhouse number 5 lock<\/strong> for the Dutch national team, has just completed a season to remember. Named Player of the Tournament<\/strong> at the Rugby Europe Women\u2019s Championship<\/em> and crowned Netherlands Player of the Year<\/strong>, Inger\u2019s performances have been nothing short of inspirational.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Small Nation with Big Ambitions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For Inger, representing the Netherlands has always been about more than just pulling on the jersey it\u2019s about pushing boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cWe\u2019re a small country with a small league,\u201d she reflects. \u201cThat means we don\u2019t have as much depth in our selection as some of the bigger rugby nations. But the exciting part is that things are changing. There\u2019s growing attention for young girls getting into the sport, and that\u2019s so important for the future of the national team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Playing internationally has been key to developing Dutch rugby\u2019s competitiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cWe need to keep playing against other countries at a similar level. That\u2019s how we grow by challenging ourselves together. It also helps when players get the chance to go abroad and play (semi)professionally. Hopefully, we\u2019ll see more of that happening at home in the Netherlands one day.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Sacrifice and Dedication<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Behind every accolade lies sacrifice something Inger knows all too well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cRugby is a huge priority in my life,\u201d she admits. \u201cSometimes that means moving abroad to train and play at a higher level. It\u2019s not always easy being far from family, friends, or your partner, but if you want to keep improving, you need to take those steps.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Her commitment has paid off, with her performances earning her recognition across Europe and solidifying her place as one of the Netherlands\u2019 most influential players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Off the Pitch<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Inger\u2019s drive doesn\u2019t stop at rugby. With a master\u2019s degree in neuropsychology<\/strong>, she proves that her game intelligence extends far beyond the pitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cIt\u2019s difficult to work in my field abroad because of the language barrier,\u201d she says. \u201cBut I\u2019ve managed to find a part-time remote job that fits around rugby. It\u2019s a nice balance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Like any athlete, she has her own rituals to get game-ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cBefore every match, I always make sure to have some fruit and caffeine,\u201d she laughs. \u201cAnd there are a few songs that get me in the right mindset \u2014 Unstoppable<\/em> by Sia is one of my favourites.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Looking Ahead<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Despite her recent achievements, Inger remains grounded and focused on what\u2019s next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cI like to take things season by season,\u201d she explains. \u201cRight now, I\u2019m happy with where I am. I want to see how I continue to develop and, of course, represent the Netherlands for as long as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Her biggest dream?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cQualifying for the World Cup. That would be incredible a dream come true.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Building the Future<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Inger\u2019s vision extends beyond her own career. She\u2019s passionate about the growth of the women\u2019s game in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cI hope the sport keeps growing, and that the Dutch women\u2019s team continues to get opportunities to train and play against strong nations,\u201d she says. \u201cLast year, we showed we can beat teams who are playing in the World Cup. If we keep investing in the women\u2019s program and youth development, the future looks very bright.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Words to the Next Generation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When asked what advice she\u2019d give to young girls considering rugby, her message is simple but powerful:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cRugby really is a sport for everyone. Whatever your strengths are your superpowers will definitely come in handy on the rugby field!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Quick-Fire Round \ud83d\udd25<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Favourite post-match meal:<\/strong> Cake \ud83c\udf70
Toughest opponent:<\/strong> Spain \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddf8
Best roommate on tour:<\/strong> Linde \ud83c\udfe0
Song that gets you game-ready:<\/strong> Unstoppable<\/em> \u2013 Sia \ud83c\udfb5<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s been a stellar season<\/strong> for Inger Jongerius<\/strong> a leader on and off the pitch, a role model for young players, and a symbol of how far Dutch women\u2019s rugby has come. With players like her paving the way, the future of the Oranje women\u2019s game has never looked brighter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When you think of the rising stars driving women\u2019s rugby forward in the Netherlands, one name stands tall quite literally. Inger Jongerius, the powerhouse number 5 lock for the Dutch national team, has just completed a season to remember. Named Player of the Tournament at the Rugby Europe Women\u2019s Championship and crowned Netherlands Player of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":821,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-820","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-womens-1"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/dutchrugbymag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Banner-2.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dutchrugbymag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/820","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dutchrugbymag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dutchrugbymag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dutchrugbymag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dutchrugbymag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=820"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dutchrugbymag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/820\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":829,"href":"https:\/\/dutchrugbymag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/820\/revisions\/829"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dutchrugbymag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dutchrugbymag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dutchrugbymag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=820"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dutchrugbymag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}