THE Jersey Rugby Minis and Juniors recently held their annual Girls Rugby Open Day in a bid to attract new players to their growing squad.
Jersey RFC Women have gone from strength to strength over recent years, and earned a stunning promotion during the 2023/24 campaign with 13 wins from 14 played, to finish a staggering 16 points clear of runners-up Beccehamian Ladies.
First-team captain Katie De La Cloche expressed her excitement at the beginning of the season, regarding the number of new faces the side have taken on, with the forward stating that it had given everyone “a real boost”.
Most notably, Seren Coombs had to patiently wait until her 17th birthday to debut for the side; but it was worth the wait, with the flanker making an immediate impact in red, even scoring a hat-trick on debut during the side’s Women’s NC 2 South East (South) winning run.
Keen to ensure the future remains bright for those progressing through the Jersey ranks, the club welcomed over 15 new players in the secondary-school ages for their U12 to U18 teams.
The coaches introduced the girls to a series of fun activities including tackling and passing, and also set up skill-based obstacle courses.
There was also a great turnout by members of the current ladies team to assist and inspire.
Head coach Julia Williams said: “It was so encouraging to see so many teenage girls trying rugby with big smiles on their faces and challenging themselves with new skills.”
Girls rugby is a globally expanding sport, with England the recent winners of the WXV1 tournament in Canada, while also preparing to host the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025.
Jersey RFC extended their heartfelt thanks to sponsors SG Kleinwort Hambros and Jersey Sport for their huge support in girls rugby; the organisation said that without their help, events like these would not be possible.
