Red Roses inspire younger generation with club visits
Over two dozen Red Roses visited eight rugby clubs across England, playing, teaching and promoting rugby to hundreds of girls, as well as giving the young players a chance to meet their rugby idols.
The visits are part of the RFU's Love Rugby initiative and saw the players visit Cambourne RFC, Chinnor RFC, Winchester RFC, Old Grammarians RFC, Burton-on-Trent RFC, Northampton Saints, Hartlepool RFC and Kingswood RFC.
They come at an exciting time for women's rugby with the Six Nations Championship around the corner and England set to host this year's Women's Rugby World Cup.
Cambourne RFC
Claudia Macdonald and Maddie Feaunati spent the day at the Cornish club which saw 73 U11 and U12 girls in attendance from nine local clubs. The Red Roses helped with drills, coaching matches, how to use tackle bags, as well as hosted a Q&A. Claudia also surprised the girls, bringing the shirt she wore in the World Cup final.
An U12s parent said, "I didn't think she was going to carry on with rugby, but today her shown her that she can enjoy it and get involved if she puts her mind to it."
Claudia added, "Cornwall is a hotbed for rugby in England so it's great to come down to Cambourne and see young girls enjoy themselves. We want these visits to show there is a pathway from playing grassroots rugby to representing the Red Roses. We want to create a buzz and excitement around young girls picking up a rugby ball in this country."
Old Grammarians RFC
50 young girls from seven clubs gathered at the North London-based club to meet and learn from Marlie Packer, Rosie Galligan, Zoe Harrison, Kelsey Clifford and Ella Wrywas. The girls were trained and coached by the Red Roses as well as got the chance to take photos and ask questions.
Angela Micallef, junior chairperson and secretary for women and girls at the club, said, "Having the Red Roses in attendance was something truly inspiring for the girls. They were absolutely thrilled to meet and hear from their idols, and it was lovely to see their excitement and enthusiasm throughout the day."
Marlie said. "As Red Roses we love the opportunity to visit grassroots clubs and give back to those who have been passionate supporters of ours throughout our careers. We want to connect, hear stories from individuals and show that you can follow your passion no matter where you are from. We hope this year proves inspirational for young girls across the country and we can't want to see more girls picking up a ball and giving rugby a go."
Winchester RFC
A staggering 225 girls from 13 clubs travelled to Hampshire to meet Jess Breach, Abby Dow, Connie Powell and Liz Drake. The girls, ages U12 to U14s, had an on-pitch session with the Red Roses as well as the chance to meet them in a Q&A.
Connie said, "Every young girl we have met at Winchester RFC will be different to one another and that's exactly the same as the Red Roses. We want to show you can play rugby no matter your personality or background. We're hoping to inspire these young girls who, like us, can create memories by playing rugby with their community."
Chinnor RFC
Ellie Kildunne, Maud Muir and Lucy Packer travelled to the Thame-based club to meet and play with 14 teams from Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. The U12s played round-robin games and got the chance to meet and take pictures with the Red Roses.
Ellie said, "We are incredibly grateful for the support we have received from grassroots rugby clubs throughout our careers/ These visits are a great chance for us to give back and connect with communities that we have all been a part of. We hope connecting with clubs like Chinnor will inspire the next generation of rugby talent and leave a lasting legacy for the sport in England."
Hartlepool RFC
Around 100 U12 girls from the North East convened at Hartlepool RFC where Mackenzie Carson and Sarah Bern hosted a Q&A, and presented them with participation medals and scrunchies.
Mackenzie said, "Meeting young rugby players at grassroots clubs bring us all back to when we were kids, chucking a ball around for the first time. As much as we want to inspire young girls, it is inspiring to see them give it a go with a smile on their face. We want to continue the connection with local communities and see more girls embrace the opportunity."
Northampton Saints RFC
With the aim to inspire and encourage girls into the sport, Helena Rowland, Cath O'Donnell and Emily Scarratt attended the East Midlands club.
Helena said, "It's always special to immerse ourselves into local rugby communities and give back to those that have been so good to us. We want to connect and inspire the next generation of rugby talent and leave a lasting legacy for the sport in England. We can't wait to see more girls give rugby a go!"
Kingswood RFC
Over 80 girls from seven local primary schools in Bristol got together at Kingswood RFC to meet Holly Aitchison, Mo Hunt, Alex Matthews and Hannah Botterman. The girls, in years five and six, had never engaged with rugby before, and with encouragement and coaching from the Red Roses, the girls participated in a round-robin tournament.
Burton-on-Trent RFC
Megan Jones, Amy Cokayne and Sadia Kabeya attended the club in Staffordshire, meeting and chatting to young girls.
Megan said, "To see smiles on kids' faces and see them enjoying themselves in a rugby environment means the world to us Red Roses. Enjoyment and friendship are what it's all about. We want to show that as your rugby may progress, the smiles never face and it remains a pleasure to pick up a ball."
