Huddersfield Laund Hill RFC unveils first Ladies’ Captain Board
Huddersfield Laund Hill RFC celebrated their female players this weekend and unveiled their first-ever Ladies’ Captain Board.
The day featured U12 and U14 girls’ games and a senior women’s match before the board was unveiled by Jodie Ounsley, who stars as Fury in the BBC show Gladiators.
The club created an honours board for their women’s team, the Roses, captains. The aim of the board is to inspire their minis and juniors, highlight the pathway into senior rugby, and ensure complete parity between the men’s and women’s teams at the club.
Inspiring their young players
Andrew James Appleby, Director of Rugby, said: “We asked our mini and junior girls who inspired them to give rugby a try and the overwhelming response was Jodie Ounsley.
“She’s a fantastic role model for the girls and as such we decided to dedicate the board to her for inspiring future generations of female rugby players.”
The club holds a special place in the Ounsley family’s history: Jodie’s dad, Phil, played for the club during the 1990s and recently re-joined as part of their veterans’ team.
Phil Ounsley, Jodie’s father, said: “Jodie was born profoundly deaf and wouldn’t really speak to anyone when she was younger. She was very self-conscious about herself. We took her down to the local rugby club and her life changed.
“She made friends, and her communication improved. She went through the pathways pretty quickly and by the age of 18, she began playing on the HSBC sevens circuit. She previously played for Exeter Chiefs and made a career from rugby before she became a Gladiator.”
Shining a spotlight on female rugby
The club has seen significant growth in the number of female players across all age groups over the past three years. They’ve worked hard to establish themselves as the go-to club for females in their area looking to play rugby.
Appleby said: “We’ve shouted from the rafters about female rugby at every opportunity. We have several coaches who visit local schools to coach and encourage children to join our club.
“It’s really important to us that our girls are treated the same as the boys, and that’s another reason why we decided we needed the Ladies’ Captain Board.”
Huddersfield Laund Hill RFC's dedication to promoting female rugby is paving the way for future generations and inspiring young players to reach new heights on and off the field.
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