Girls’ Rugby Update – November 2024

On 29^th September and 6^th October, season opener Love Rugby festivals were held in the form of some marvellous Pitch Up and Play events, generously hosted at Long Eaton, Kesteven, Matlock and Chesterfield, welcoming girls of many different ages and experience levels from all over our three counties.

Long Eaton played host to around 120 girls on 29^th September – 30 girls in the u12s section, from 7 different clubs, and 90 girls at u16s, from across 9 clubs – and many additional u14s and u18s players gathered for game time at Kesteven.

Teresa Ryan from Long Eaton noted that “it was amazing to see 3 pitches being used to accommodate all the u16s and girls stepping in to play for other teams when they were short of players. For the Gainsborough team and some other players, it was their first ever game. The atmosphere was great – core values shone through, as did the sun!”

On 6^th October, 211 girls from u12s, 14s and 16s age groups attended the Matlock festival, representing 10 different clubs – from Buxton in the West to Lincoln in the East – with an additional 35-strong cohort of u18s making their way to Chesterfield.

Andrew Archibald from Matlock reported back that “each team played 2 games against similarly experienced opposition, giving the girls an appropriate level of competition and challenge. We had some girls playing their first competitive game of 15 a side and it was a great way to introduce them to the wider game and how rewarding it can be. All expertly refereed by the 3 society refs who joined us for the day!

The large crowd of parents and coaches had a wonderful time with the afternoon being characterised by strong support for the girls and an encouraging atmosphere that focussed on fun and enjoyment. Matlock also managed to completely sell out of cakes and all the raffle tickets. One lucky winner even took away a Smeg kettle!”

The first few weeks of the NLD U16s girls PDG Foundation Stage have got underway with several rigorous and rewarding assessment days, followed by training sessions at Keyworth RFC that have blended a mixture of hard work and great fun for the girls selected. The new coaching leadership team of Guy Hope, Stacey Coulthard and Simon Jewkes have really hit the ground running, ably assisted by Holly Felton, Connor Power, Chelsea Hillsley and Reilly Altorf-Kaio.

In October, club coaches from across NLD were invited to participate in a Programme open evening at Newark Rugby Club, providing valuable insights into the NLD team’s coaching practices and how the U16s Girls PDG Foundation Stage fits into the RFU pathway.

NLD Girls’ Opportunities Officer and Programme Manager Debbie Linn reported that “we had an impressive 81 girls self-nominate for the initial selection day, from which 40 talented and dedicated players were chosen. The skill and commitment displayed by these young athletes has been truly impressive, and we’re thrilled with the progress they’ve made so far. Very soon, we’ll be reaching out to club coaches to nominate additional players who could benefit from joining this exciting programme.”

So watch this space for further opportunities for girls who are standout performers to get involved!