Every school year begins with headlines about the decline of school rugby, with claims that fewer and fewer schools play the game, and children choosing less traditional activities. That may be true in some places, but in Hertfordshire one part of the game is expanding – and expanding massively.
A couple of years ago Hertford RFC hosted the county’s first girls’ schools tournament. There were only four entrants. But on 20th October Hertford will host a girls’ school rugby festival which will feature an incredible 38 school teams across two age bands. Over 400 girls from every part of the county are expected making it one of the largest girls’ state school rugby festivals ever staged – anywhere.
27 teams will take part in a tag rugby tournament for Years 7 and 8, while another 11 take part in a full-contact tournament for Years 9 and 10 – including the Presdales school team that won the national championship in 2009 (full list below).
Representatives from several of the county’s club teams will also be present. Girls’ rugby is now well established at many rugby clubs across the county as the game continues to grow, helped by the summer’s massively successful Women’s Rugby World Cup.
And if the girls want an incentive to take up the sport then they could no do better than learn from two of the country’s World Cup heroes, who will be watching the event. England and Saracens superstar Maggie Alphonsi – one of the greatest female rugby players in the world – will be joined by international team-mate Michaela Staniford, whose rugby career began thanks to her being introduced to the game at her Hertfordshire school.
With Hertfordshire’s girls picking up the ball in record numbers, how many will be following Maggie and Michaela into the England team?
Come to Hertford and see the future of Herts schools rugby – and maybe even some future England champions!
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- The event would not have been possible without the work of the county’s School Sport Co-ordinators (SSCos) and Partnership Development Managers (PDMs), who ensure that inter-school tournaments like this can take place – and that the talented players that the schools unearth can move on to become the sports stars of tomorrow.
Event details
Hertfordshire Schools Girls Rugby Festival, At Hertford Rugby Football Club, Highfields, Hoe Lane, Ware, Hertfordshire SG12 9NZ, 20th October 2010, from 1- 5pm.
Entrants:
| Years 7 & 8: | Years 9 & 10 | ||
| Turnford John Warner Presdales Chauncy Sele Simon Balle St Mary's Catholic A St Mary's Catholic B Birchwood Rickmansworth Queens | Westfield Monks Walk Hertswood Sir Frederic Osborn Hitchin Girls Nobel Knight's Templar John Henry Newman Adeyfield Hemel Hempstead Tring | Sir John Lawes Nicholas Breakspear Loreto Beaumont Dame Alice Owens | Queens Presdales Nobel Chauncy St Mary's Catholic Sir John Lawes Knight's Templar Westfield Roundwood Park |
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