The U12s finished their first season with a four team tournament at Welwyn this afternoon. Again club fixtures resulted in the loss of several leading players, but that did give some girls new to the sport a chance to shine.
In practice this was probably the least experienced Herts side we have been able to put out, and the first up was Kent - now a very experienced team based around two Kent clubs. It was a steep learning curve for the new girls, but by the second half they were where beginning work together and even scored a try at the end, going down five tries to one.
The second game against Eastern Counties was a far closer affair, two missed tackles in the first half being the difference giving the visitors a 10-0 win. But the second half was hugely exciting with Herts very unlucky to fail to break the deadlock.
Finally the girls took on Middlesex, aka Ealing, another experienced team but performed very well, despite the 20-5 scoreline. Overall Kent were winners, Middlesex second, and Eastern Counties third.
At the end of the first U12 programme it is worth recording that around 25 girls have played in five fixtures, as well as two training sessions. At full strength a Herts U12 team could take on anyone, but we were never granted that luxury! But that did not matter - and was hardly the point. Rather more interesting is that the programme has allowed over a dozen girls to sample competitive, full-contact rugby for the first time in a supportive environment suited to their needs - something that would be very difficult to do as part of a standard mini team. In addition the rugby careers of several other girls who had dropped out of rugby, or were on the verge of doing so, have been revived.
It is this that the programme was created to do. There has been a degree of opposition from some in boys and mini rugby who have failed to understand this. The U12 programme is not a representative programme, nor is its purpose to establish an alternative "club". The aim is to introduce girls to the game, and keep those in the game playing. We know that Saracens and Old Albanians will definitely benefit from these new or revived players next season, while both Welwyn and Letchworth are likely to include girls in their U15 squads next season who played U12 county rugby this season.
The only disappointing aspect of the programme has been the lack of enthusiasm and suspicion from some clubs, amounting to active opposition at times. This has restricted the uptake of the programme to only a minority of clubs, most of whom already have U15 and U18 sections and therefore understood what it was trying to do. It can only be hoped that these negative responses will be replaced with a more positive attitude next season because the programme has quite clearly at least slowed the hemorrhaging of girls from the mini game in Hertfordshire. I think we would be the first to admit that it is not perfect, but until someone comes up with a better means of keeping girls playing rugby up to U12s it remains the only game in town.
Finally, the programme could not have happened without the active support of several people, including members of the Herts Women's and Girls' committee, but above all Natalie Threlfall - a U18 player at Letchworth - who (along with her mother!) has given up several of her weekends (not to mention her chance of a place in the county U18 squad) to support, coach, and inspire the girls. The U12 programme offers a great practical opportunity for older girls to practice their coaching and it can only be hoped that some more will take up this next season.
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