Notes from Women & Girls' Development meeting

The latest Women and Girls's development forum meeting took place yesterday at Radlett. The meeting was chaired by the Women's Regional Development Manager (WRDM) Amanda Bate who commented that she "was very disappointed at the poor turnout for the meeting" which had been arranged to take place at Tabard, but no-one from Tabard arrived so the meeting had to move to a nearby pub!

Amanda continued that "The meeting is usually held at Welwyn, but we moved it to Tabard to try and make it easier for some clubs to attend. This did not happen, so in future the meetings will once again be held at Welwyn RFC."

Present were Amanda Bate (WRDM), John Birch (Letchworth), Heather Alcock (Letchworth), Gareth Lewis (YDO Stevenage), Luke Williams (Welwyn), Dave Marques (Welwyn), Simon Shutler (Saracens), and there were apologies from Vicky Lowe (Hertford), Jess Lane (Welwyn), Chris Fishlock (Hertford)

"If any club needs help/support in developing girls rugby then they should attend these meetings.

"As usual there was no representation at all from senior women’s teams, and so I take this as a sign that the women’s game in Herts does not need any support at all, which is very encouraging!"


The main points discussed were:

Club reports:

Welwyn

• Expected players for next season, u15 15-20, U18’s 18-23,
• Four coaches, Luke Williams (Head coach), Chris Gallagher (Forwards coach), Pete Mccullough and Jess Lane (U15s)
• Targeting years 5-8, boys and girls, through school coaching; Luke Williams to coach in the four primary schools, contact with the schools being made via SSCO. Both boys and girls will have festival at the club, which may begin with tag ("see how it goes").

Letchworth

• Expected players for next season, u15 8, u18’s 18-20
• Coach -Woman returning to Letchworth from University may be able to help. John Birch and Andrew Glenister, and club will provide further support. Usually parents become the coaches, but the girls parents do not have rugby playing background. Amanda will ask Kat Emerson if she can coach as Kat is a senior player in Essex, due to start at Herts University in September.

Saracens

• Expected players for next season, u15 12-14, u18 8-10
• Coaches: Simon Shutler, Alan Watson to coach, both at level 2.
• All fixtures sorted! Will join with Middlesex to create Middx U18, and also matches against Letchworth, Welwyn and Basford

Stevenage

• Players - don’t know yet! Plenty of coaches, no girls yet! Thinking of clusters like before (Herts Swifts). Meeting suggested clustering with Letchworth and Gareth Lewis seemed interested, though suspected possible club objections at Stevenage. Amanda suggested Stevenage lends a coach…looks at the "bigger picture".
• Why is Stevenage trying again to build girls rugby? Girls coming through from minis, and also grants the club has received in the past dependant on providing womens and girls rugby. A summer camp will try and recruit both sexes, and they are also looking at Emerging Schools teams, with Paul Freestone’s help.

County teams-appointments

U18’s Vicky Lowe and Luke Williams will again coach the county girls, Simon Sutler will lead coach the county U15’s with Jess Lane in support. Dave Marques will be team manager for u18’s and Pete McCullough will be team manager for u15’s. It is hoped that Catherine Lowe will be kit manager again. Main points:

U18s

• Two squads, 20 in each, Clive Cramphorn will run the Second quad (called "Baa Baas"). Trials virtually same as last year - gather all girls, put into teams (but probably not club teams this time), general training, game situations, etc. Then choose 40 girls
• Next training session, all 40 together again and then select again, and maybe at the next session too. After that selected for First and Second team squads.
• Mid week training sessions to be arranged - but no may be problem swith both day and venue. County Manager (Dave Marques) and coaches will decide. The aim will be to arrange as many matches as possible - includng possibly a mid-week fixture, and with games spread around the county.
• All girls will be told that they are expected at trials if they want to be in county squad (unless genuinly unavoidable - ie. injury) as the county is not a RFUW programme, so TDGs do not automatically get a bye!

U15s

• Simon Shutler to be head coach, will put the girls into a game situation at the trials and "go from there"! Development day will be a trials also, the two county dates after that will be training sessions and then (hopefully) fixtures will be festivals. If possible and with good numbers we will run two squads. Pete McCullough is team and fixture manager for U15s.

Other county matters

• Amanda will talk to Catherine Lowe about U15s kit and John Drew about the Baa Baas kit.
• Amanda will advertise dates of first development/trials dates in schools via PDMs.
• Coaches at the trials who are not busy will be roped in to coach any brand new girls who turn up!
• We will try to arrange county fixtures at Letchworth, Stevenage and Welwyn. Luke says we need a meal afterwards and the captains say a few words etc etc… Girls to be dressed so as to try to develop more county rugby ethos. Host club to arrange referees and press, and organise food.
• Team Managers to write to schools on county headed paper to advise when they make the county team.

U12’s Letchworth project

Plan to get new blood. U12’s girls get lost in minis, and also at the step up to junior girls. "Scary" to approach a club as an individual and the result is that girls stop playing. Inter schools u12 festival/project planned for November, and - as some schools who did Emerging Schools wanted to carry it on somehow- will combine festival with an U14’s matches. Maybe get older girls to referee, coach etc. (seven Letchworth girls have done referee's course, one has level 1 coaching course and other have done Start Rugby). Trying to plan something for every six weeks to keep girls interested. Amanda to pass on contact details for Kent and Sussex, and invite a Referee Ambassador along. Amanda spoken to Ros Cramp and Paul Freestone, happy for Heather to approach schools direct.

Festival will also try to cover parts of Bedfordshire, and Letchworth have contacted Claire Sanderson (WRDM East Midlands). Letchworth is also sending a rep to east Midlands (county) forum.

Emerging Schools Competition

Amanda will talk to RDO about supporting those clubs represented at tonights meeting.

Developing girls teams/clusters for training and/or matches.

Not discussed as those teams present have sorted fixtures and are developing. The clubs which need help/support developing were not present at this meeting.

Planning for the season

Cluster coaching/matches on Regional days: Jess may provide coaching for the girls left behind! This is when we need the county 2nd XV/development squad to train and maybe play other county development squads. Amanda to get all county contact details from other WRDM’s and pass to team managers.

Go Play: All present know about this and how it can help female player recruitment.

Funding: Amanda to apply for funding for SAQ courses and equipment, first aid courses coach development and skills sessions, drill tops for Baa baas and u15s, and leaflets aimed at U12s (and even younger) - Saracens invite all girls to join in training, they tell all parents about it and it works!

Accounts

Up-date from treasurer-accounts /statements will be available to view. AB to speak to Catherine who was not present and ask for details.

RFUW up-date: Short of time and those present know about discussions at East forum recently…to be further discussed at next meeting.

Senior spot: No reps from senior teams attended.

Next meeting 24th Sept at Welwyn RFC 7.30pm