That means that when they join up they have may never have picked up a rugby ball before. At the University of Manchester Women’s Rugby Club and Manchester Metropolitan Women's Rugby Club they recognised the need to develop these players in a safe and enjoyable environment.

The two joined forces in the first term of the 2022/23 season to create a Manchester Universities development team, giving both universities the opportunity to develop players brand new to the game. The team played two fixtures in November, one against Salford University and one against Leeds University 3XV, a team also composed of women who were new to rugby. Although neither team had players with any previous game time, it was a fantastic opportunity for all of them to get started and to learn with the help of officials willing to explain decisions.

For the Leeds game, 1st and 2nd team players from both universities went down to support the players at the start of their rugby adventure, which created a fantastic and inclusive atmosphere. Despite losing, everyone came off the pitch having learned a lot and with big smiles on their faces.

Said Mia Denman the RFU funded Cluster officer for Manchester & Mancchester Metropolitan Universities: ”We’re looking forward to the rest of the season and the development of these girls into skilled rugby players. If any teams local to Manchester and the North West have a development side and want to organise a friendly of any sort please reach out.”

Anyone interested on learning more can contact her at  mia.denman@manchester.ac.uk.