Spalding RFC are looking at the potential of setting up their first ladies’ section after seeing first hand the enthusiasm for rugby in local school.
The club’s head coach George Reid has for the last six months been working with pupils from Spalding Academy and Thomas Cowley providing lunchtime and after-school rugby clubs.
The impressive uptake from the girls led to the club hosting a Girls Rugby Development Day in partnership with the RFU’s All School Programme.
During the session at Spalding RFC’s New Ground the girls, ranging from Year Seven through to Year 10, completed several skill sessions and game related play, culminating in full contact games at the end.
It was run by Jess Lester from Spalding Academy, Peter Jullien and David Betteridge and they’re now looking to run future sessions and considering setting up a ladies section within Spalding RFC.
George said: “After working with Spalding Academy we recognised that there were a lot of girls interested in the game and they needed an outlet.”
With regards to the session, he said “I thought that the girls did brilliantly and really worked hard.
“There seems to be a good base for setting up a girls section at the club and I am sure that over the coming years both the school and club will benefit positively from the experience.”
There are plans to hold another development day after Easter with Spalding Academy and Thomas Cowley students.
George said he would like to work with Jess and potentially develop this with other schools in the area.
During the summer, (following the end of the contact season) the club is also hoping to run touch games for girls and ladies across all age groups alongside their regular touch sessions.
More information can be found on the club’s website at www.spaldingrfc.co.uk
Following on from the success of the boy’s playing sessions held at the New Ground, before Christmas, George has also been asked to run a development day for the year seven, eight and nine boys at Spalding Academy.
