County trials and training venues: amended venues

The venues for the four county dates (see earlier post on "key dates") have now been confirmed as follows:

• 17th September - Stevenage RFC
• 15th October - St Christopher School (Barrington Road, Letchworth SG6 3JZ).
• 12th November - Letchworth RFC

All from c12.30 to 3.30.

This will be followed on 3rd December by an inter-county festival at Westcliff RFC in Essex, which will include not only Hertfordshire, Essex, and Eastern Counties but it is also hoped at least three or four other counties as well.

First Aid Course

Amanda has passed on information about a First Aid course being organised by Herts Sports Partnership for Appointed Persons on Sunday 10th September 2006 (9.30am to 4.30pm) at the Herts Sports Village in Hatfield.

She says its is an excellent course run by Tony Bennison, who is a rugby coach and so knows just what sort of injuries we might be dealing with, and urges clubs to send at least one person on this course. Note however that it is open to all sports and places will be booked on a first come first served basis, so book NOW to avoid disappointment.

Click here for further details and a booking form, and contact g.a.keen@herts.ac.uk if you need more information.

Alternatively you can book a course at your own club. If you are interested please contact Tony direct - Tony.Bennison@abcfirstaid.co.uk.

Girls' rugby summer camp

News of this rugby "camp" has taken a while to filter through, but is worth having a look at because it seems to be that great rarity - a camp specifically for girls!

It will be a two day event on 24th and 25th August at Old Grammarians RFC in Winchmore Hill, North London - so its very accessible, being only just over the border into Middlesex (see here for a map).

The camp is run by Crusaders Rugby and costs a very reasonable £50, with the possibility of a further 15% discount for early booking (ie. four weeks ahead). The girls course would seem to be a late addition to their schedule as it does not appear on the website so contact david@crusadersrugby.co.uk for more information.

Beckenham festival date confirmed

The date of the Beckenham U17 festival has been conformed as 8th October. Invitations go out shortly.

Last season only on Herts team took part - which is a pity as its an good festival which is aimed specifically at new U17 players. It also attracts entries from across the South East, giving you a chance to meet clubs you'd never normally play outside of National Sevens.

More information will appear here as it becomes known.

Comments welcome!

A minor design glitch has now been sorted out which means that you can now leave comments about any articles on this blog.

Just click on the "comments" link below, and away you go!

Don't feel shy - let's make this a two way process!!

Hertfordshire hat-trick! [UPDATE]

Hertfordshire Junior Rugby were winners of three of awards at last night's East Region Dinner & Awards evening.

Hopefully we'll have some pictures of the winners with their awards later. In the meanwhile we join the festivities a little later in the evening...

The lack winners' photos is partly (well, entirely) due to my being one of them (Volunteer of the Year) and therefore being unable to take pictures that I was in.

Other awards went to Amanda Bate (Outstanding Achievement) , and the Hertfordshire county team (especially the U17 A team) who deservedly won the first County Team of the Year award.

In addition a fourth award went to Hertfordshire when OA Saints were awarded Club of the Year mainly for their performances in their first year of Women's Premiership rugby.

Other award winners that I can remember were:

• U17 Player of the Year: Kat Emerson (Basildon)
• U14 Player of the Year: Emily Scott (Basildon)
• Coach/Manager of the Year: Mrs Chris Emerson (Basildon)
• I think that Holly Le Grave (Basildon) won Senior Player of the Year
• Ironically I can't actually recall the winner of Unsung Hero. I don't think they were from Basildon though...

(Seriously - these awards can only go to people who are nominated. So next year make sure you put your best players and supporters forward. Don't expect anyone outside your club to do it!)

Update: First few photos already up on Rugby Matters website! More to come yet I suspect...

Your region needs YOU!!

Applications are being invited for all positions in the East Regional structure.

Its not that anyone is leaving as such, but with the expansion of the game in the East new volunteers are needed to help with the programme.

Among the posts included on the application form are U14, U17 and Senior coaches, team and programme managers.

Pretty much anyone who puts their hand up is likely to be accepted in some capacity, so now if your chance to shape the future direction of England's strongest and most successful region!

Further information from Claire Sanderson, RFUW WRDM Midlands, c/o Hockey Pavilion, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU (email clairesanderson@rfu.com).

We are not alone

A second county has launched a "blog" - and its another East county as well - thus confirming our place as the most switched on region off the field, as well as the best on it.

So a big welcome to the Eastern Counties Girls' Rugby blog!

Obviously a bit thin atthe moment, what with our having some weeks' start, and much of the content seems terribly familiar, but its good to see.

But come on Essex - what's keeping you?

The conference season

The only activity on the field may be the wind blowig through the lengthening grass, but off the field there is still a lot going on.

Saturday 1st July sees the first "divisional" conference for our area (ie. East + East Midlands), which takes place at Coventry RUFC. This replaces the National Conference at the request of many clubs who can sometimes find that issues in other regions aren’t always relevant to their own development.

The agenda includes team building, club development planning, recruitment of volunteers, and working with the meda . Its a packed day that promises to be both informative and practical, and also contains a refreshing and enlightening presentation from one of the RFU’s Volunteer representatives – Alex Murphy. This will focus on the importance of volunteers and how best to recruit, retain and reward even with seemingly nothing to offer!

The section of the day devoted to Club Development Plans should be useful when planning for the future. The opportunity will be provided to share best practice with other clubs and make a start on your own. Finally, with the World Cup less than four months away, we hope to have an inspirational insight into the preparation and goals of the World Cup Squad.

To attend please email Colleen Webb on stormstorm@hotmail.com

Twenty Herts girls make a little piece of history

The names of the twenty players who will be the first girls to ever take part in Herts RFU's "Athlete Support Programme" have been announced:

Nikki Alcock (Letchworth), Emma Burgess (Hertford), Megan Childs (Saracens), Francis Dawson (Welwyn), Rebecca Dawson (Welwyn), Amanda Finch (Saracens), Milly Fuggles (Hertford), Hannah Gallagher (Welwyn), Hayley Guilder (Letchworth), Carla Kelly (Letchworth), Harriet Lilley (Welwyn), Hannah Marques (Welwyn), Alex Robertson (Saracens), Jess Robinson (Letchworth), Claire Shutler (Saracens), Gerry Thomas (Fullerians), Natalie Threlfall (Letchworth), Emily Vivian (Letchworth), Melissa Waite (Hitchin), Megan Williams (Welwyn)

Up until now the programme - run mainly during the summer at the University of Hertfordshire - has been restricted to the top U15 boys in the county, but this year half of the places have been allocated to girls, and the county coaches have selected the leading girls aged U16 or younger.

The twenty will now take part in a series of fitness and conditioning evenings in June and July lead by the University's Sports and Social Science Officer, Fiona Castree. They and their parents will also receive advice on nutrition and athletic development throughout the rest of the year.