Chloe's campaign to start a rugby team
"Women's rugby, ever heard of it?"
That’s the question Chloe of Blenheim High School stood up to ask her class last year, but not even she could have forecast the response. Not until she answered it herself.
The 14-year-old wrote a letter about the lack of girls' rugby at Blenheim High School as part of a GCSE mock exam last term, and after sharing it with her class, Chloe decided to share it with the headteacher of the school, and in doing so inadvertently kick-started a rugby campaign.
“When I was in year seven I was told by a teacher that rugby was too violent for girls, and that is why it wasn’t offered - I didn’t like that,” recalls Chloe of the catalyst behind her letter.
“The letter and speech were not intended to start a campaign, I just thought people should know more about girl’s rugby, because people asked me questions like: ‘so do you play in a boy's team?’, ‘is it actual rugby?’ or ‘are the rules the same?’ and I just wanted to let people know that any girl can play any sport they want to.”
Chloe has been playing rugby for just over a year with club side Sutton & Epsom, and so when it came to forming a school team, she sought the help of her English teacher Mr Short – who coincidentally also plays for the Surrey side.
The school team came together three months ago, and recently played and won their first ever game, beating Bishop Thomas Grant School 35-20, but Mr Short admits he had initial doubts about recruitment.
“I said I would coach a girls’ team if they could find girls to play,” remembers Mr Short. “We started training on a Tuesday after school and two girls came to the first session, then six the next week and 10 by the third week. Earlier this month we had 13 girls represent the school in a match.
“I was over the moon with the performance, I wasn’t worried about the result. I just wanted us to play decent rugby and get a few tries,” he added. “The hope is now to get more fixtures, the PE department at Blenheim are keen to support rugby more, so next year I’ll be simultaneously running an U13s and U15s girls’ team.”
Mr Short may have played a crucial part in establishing girls’ rugby at Blenheim High School, but he credits Chloe as the master behind the movement, after she pleaded with friends who had never heard of rugby, to give it a go.
“It means so much to me that we have a team now,” said Chloe. “I have such a passion for the sport, I love it and it is what I want to do when I get older. To know I helped create a team and helped introduce other girls to a sport I know benefits people physically and mentally is nice. I‘m so proud of all girls that play rugby and have the confidence to stand up to people about it.”
Since their historical first game, support from students and teachers alike at Blenheim has been fantastic, with the girls being recognised in the weekly newsletter as well as being invited to a celebratory lunch by the head. A second match beckons, but beyond that is uncertain, with both Chloe and Mr Short wanting to establish a frequent fixture list.
Which leads to another question: Blenheim High School girls’ rugby team, want to play them?
To organise a fixture with the girls of Blenheim High School email shortt@blenheim.surrey.sch.uk or follow and message @BlenheimPE or @shortt_mr on Twitter.
