Tottonians take on litter in the New Forest
Tottonians Rugby Club have been helping New Forest Council's scheme to prevent litter in the area.
If you’re driving on the A35 through the New Forest, you’ll see a lot of rugby players.
Every few miles there are posters of Tottonians RFC players, in their green, black and white strip, promoting the local council’s campaign to reduce litter.
As partners of New Forest Council’s drive to reduce littering, the club were glad to be part of the message.
Club chair, Wayne Hausen said: “When the council contacted us, we were very happy to be involved and try to prevent food rubbish being thrown out of cars in a place of beauty.”
The campaign is also good recruitment for a club who “having been the only Hampshire club with four men’s senior teams playing in leagues, we had to reduce to three and fold the Vets,” said Wayne.
“Post covid was a tough time for everyone, but we supported our Vets Cup campaign, and they became Hampshire champions. They beat an excellent Havant side and we had three Vets teams competing at the club and a barbecue and live band.”
Bringing back women & girls
Their recent Pitch Up & Play session for U12 girls was a big success, with more than 60 girls turning up. The club has now created an U16s girls section with some 18 players already keen to get involved.
Wayne explained: “It's really great, as we want to rebuild women’s rugby at the club. We had one of the first Hampshire women’s teams 20 years ago, but took our eye off the ball, didn’t recruit well and folded the women’s team, with some players moving to other clubs.
“Part of the problem was a lack of changing facilities. However, now we have an extra pitch and tractor store thanks to our partnership with Totton College and we’ve transformed the original tractor store to a women’s changing room.
“Some of our women founding members, like Lydia Barber, are so keen to see the new U16s have a senior team to move up to and we’ve had brass plaques with those original players’ names engraved on them for the new changing facility,” said Wayne.
The club also applied for and got a £2,500 grant from Hampshire RFU to develop their girls’ rugby and decided to get a professional video to help recruit. That was going so well, they invested their own money to add to the video and recruit from minis to throughout the whole club.
“It really feels like we’re making progress,” said Wayne. “We realise recruitment is key and know that once new members arrive, the welcome they’re guaranteed at the club will keep them involved.
“It will be great to get a women’s team back up and running, that’s our aim so that our strong age grade players all have a team to transition to.”
It’s certainly not a rubbish plan!
