A Very warm Welcome for the Warriors in Wales.

Welwyn Warriors took a tour party of 56 to South Wales over Easter and found the very warmest of welcomes in the valleys!!

Warriors played Newport H.S.O.B. on a Good Friday that saw 4 seasons in one match! Warm sunshine, hail, snow & rain! Warriors U15s played the first match and beat Newport 49-5. Most of that match was played in sunshine but by the time of the U18s match, the rain and sleet was pouring down!! In a titanic tussle Warriors ran into a 19-0 lead only to see Newport claw back the points in the heavy conditions. With a minute left on the watch, Newport ran in a breakaway try to make the score 22-19. From the kick off Warriors poured forward, gained possession and scored a converted try to make the final score 22-26. There were some very relieved Warriors as the final whistle blew!

On Saturday the whole party went to the EDF semi finals at the fantastic Millenium stadium and saw Leicester beat Wasps and Ospreys beat Saracens.

Back to business on Easter Sunday with a trip to Ebbw Vale to take on the East Wales regional sides. First thing in the morning the pitch had a 2 inch covering of snow but that had cleared by kick off. Warriors U15s found the Welsh regional girls a tough prospect and although they battled hard the final score was 66-7 to Wales with only Captain Courtney Arberry scoring a try.

Warriors U18s then kicked off and clearly wanted to put the stuttering Newport performance behind them. The Welwyn girls played some delightful rugby and flew into a 17-0 lead at half time.Centre Alex Robertson scoring 2 superb tries. The scums were dominated by a Welwyn pack in full flow. No matter what they tried, The Welsh girls faced a wall of maroon hoops with no way past. The game finished 17-0 a few minutes early after scrum half Casey Shults was injured.

Team Manager Dave Marques was delighted! 'We have had a fantsatic tour! Everybody in Wales, from the moment we checked into our hotel, has been so friendly and welcoming! The post match hospitality is as good, if not better than anything we've ever had before! At the post match presentations in Ebbw Vale, Welsh RFUW officer Nicola Smith, thanked the Welwyn touring party for the visit and went onto say that the Welsh age groups will move into line with England next season and urged all at Welwyn to encourage other teams to visit the principality as the Welsh teams would love to host them! Head Coach Clive Cramphorn urged any English sides looking for a touring venue, to go to Wales, 'Fantastic Rugby, fantastic people, fantastic hospitality, definitely go to Wales!'

National Cup Second Round Results

U18 Section Pool 2:

Solent Sirens 3 Wimborne 7

Welwyn /Basford 5 Solent Sirens 0

Wimborne 6 Welwyn / Basford 10

Pool Winners: Welwyn / Basford

The Final of the U18 Section is Worcester v. Welwyn / Basford and is taking place on 13th April at Litchfield RFC.

RFUW News Update - March 2008

RFUW NEWS UPDATE – March 2008

RBS 6 Nations – England were crowned champions on 15^th March and also made history by becoming the first team in Six Nations history to ever win the Grand Slam three times on the bounce! Thanks to the supporters that came along and cheered the team on, we had some great crowds.

Club Development Toolkit Fund – The RFUW is pleased to announce that £7,500 of Club Development Toolkit Funding is available to clubs. Clubs are asked to apply directly through a bidding process to receive funding. This is a one-off opportunity, so grab it while you can! For more information, click here.

RFUW National Sevens – Please note the deadline for getting your National Sevens entry forms in is this week. Another form is enclosed for ease and please see RFUW National Sevens for further information about this year’s competition which has the juniors playing on Saturday 24^th May and the seniors playing on Sunday 25^th May.

Intention to Affiliate – Enclosed is everything you need to advise of your teams’ intention to affiliate for the 2008/09 season including draft calendars and league criteria information. Please note that we have changed the way in which you pay the player registration fee. This is now based on the league minimum number and therefore rewards clubs who have a development plan and recruit more players. Closing date to receive your intention to affiliate is 23^rd May 2008.

Divisional 10s Competition – Senior and Under 18s Divisional 10s will take place on 20^th April this year at venues across the country. This is a great opportunity for your team to tour if you’d like to travel to a venue further afield. Please send entry forms direct to the venue you would like to attend by the closing date of 7^th April. Two clubs from each event will qualify for the National 10s final on 5^th May at Lichfield RFC.

Club Conferences – In June the RFUW will be holding four divisional Club Conferences to provide a training and development opportunity for club volunteers. The conferences will include a variety of sessions for administrators, coaches and referees. Details are as follows, please make a note of the date in your diary:

The South West at Exeter Chiefs on 8^th June

The Midlands at Worcester RFC on 14^th June

The North at Broughton Park RFC on 21^st June

The South East and London at Herts Sports Village on 28^th June

Your invitations with further details will be sent to your club during April. Please make sure you complete the return form and get it back to us as soon as possible to secure your place. For queries contact Gemma Ryan at the RFUW on 020 8831 6788 or at gemmaryan@rfu.com.

Rugby and What it Means to You – The RFU are inviting sports fans to share their views on rugby and consider what the game means to them. In the last ten years rugby has undergone a great deal of change with the success of England’s national teams and the recent Go Play rugby recruitment campaign which introduced thousands of new fans and players to the sport. The RFU is now conducting an online survey to widen the debate. Link to RFU Online Survey: www.rfusurvey.co.uk

RFUW Surveys – Thanks to everybody who took the time to complete the RFUW online surveys earlier this year. We are currently collating and analyzing data collected and hope to have results posted on the RFUW website in April.

Rosie Williams

Managing Director

Herts Girls 7's - Update

An Application rush is now expected for the Herts Girls 7's, which is an open Tournament and is taking place at Tabard RFC on Sunday 18th May.

Prior to Easter the following Teams have confirmed their participation:

U15's:

• Tabard (Hosts).
• Welwyn.
• Reading.
• London Irish.
• Hertford.
• Basford.
• Saracens.

U18's:

• Reading.
• Hertford.
• Letchworth.
• Basford.

Interested Teams are advised to get their Entries in quickly as there is a limit of 16 Teams in each Section of the Tournament. Please contact me Laura-Jo Pearce on 07793809586 or tabardminis@hotmail.co.uk for further details.

Hertfordshire Women's XV county Squad Trials

On Sunday 13th April 2008 trials for the Hertfordshire Women's county team will be held at St Albans Rugby Club at 2pm. The trails are open to anyone who was born in, lives in or plays for a club in Hertfordshire and is 18 years old or older.

An inaugural fixture is planned for May and the aim is to form a squad of 30 which will have separate training sessions and will be entered into a county tournament in September.

Registration forms are available from clubs or from Samantha Field, 118 Riverside Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire AL1 1SE.

New and Emerging Schools Under 14 Competition - East Region

4 Schools took part in the Regional Section of the New and Emerging Schools Tournament including Nobel (Stevenage) and Chauncy (Ware). Unforfunately neither were able to progress to the National Stage of the Competition as Chauncy were 3rd and Nobel were 4th.

RFU bans all adult/child "mixed" sessions

Although RFUW have not issued the following, I think we can take it that this applies to the girls' and women's game as much as the male side, especially as the insurance we use is the same as that used in the male game:

"Following further incidents nationally where children have been seriously injured in "fun" or training session ending games involving adults, the RFU Equity, Health and Welfare has instructed that all clubs must comply with the Regulations and not allow such mixed age sessions in any circumstances. Failure to comply would invalidate insurance cover and could result in legal action against the adult involved and the club. Many clubs have held coaches -v- lads games at the end of season - this must not happen this year or in future. Please ensure this information is disseminated to all coaches in your clubs. The same restrictions of course also apply within schools."

(From Herts RFU website)

Clearly this will have implications for any girls - even top-end U18s - getting involved with adults in training sessions at clubs which have both senior and junior sections.

Get your Entries in for Herts Girls 7's

This year Tabard are hosting the Herts Girls 7's and we want to make it as much of a success as previous years. You should have all received your entry packs now if not details and entry forms are available from the Tabard website, link below. We will post information on the website as the planning progresses and the tournament draws nearer.

Any questions please contact me Laura-Jo on 07793809586 or tabardminis@hotmail.co.uk

http://www.tabardrfc.com/countygirls.htm

East Region v. South Region 16th March

Next Sundays East Region Game against South will be held at Harlow Rugby Club.

Harlow Rugby Club, Edinburgh Way, Harlow, Essex.

Please note, as that there will be limited parking at the Rugby Club, would all parents and supporters please use the trading estate next to the rugby club to park their cars.DO NOT PARK ON EDINBURGH WAY THE COUNCIL WILL TICKET OR TOW AWAY YOUR CAR.

Kick off is 2.30pm. All players are to arrive by 1.30pm latest.

Squad Details:

U18's - All squad members are included for this fixture.

U15's-
1 Alice Nee
2 Becky Dawson
3 Ellie Martin
4 Sydnie Grace
5 Frances Hughes
8 Alex Grant
9 Claire Shutler
10 Georgia Peedle
11 Rachael Burroughs
12 Sam Voyle
13 Emma Wilson
14 Alice Finn
15 Rachael Mcullough
16 Jess Harris
17 Megan Robson
18 Megan Childs
19 Lucie Wood
20 Maya Whitmore-Tennant
21 Layla Pickering
22 Maddy Lockwood.

Herts U15 Development Fixture

Whilst the Regional Players were away training, Welwyn hosted a 3 way U15 County Development Fixture between Herts, Kent and Middlesex. Over 20 Girls from 4 Herts Clubs (Saracens, Hertford, Old Albanians and Welwyn) plus two friends from Basford made up the Herts Squad. There was a roll-on roll-off policy throughout the afternoon to give all the Players as much game time experience as possible.

Herts drew both games: 10-10 against Kent (with Tries from Abi Lee and Shira Kilgannon) and then 5-5 against Middlesex (with a Try from Abi Maxwell). Middlesex beat Kent in the other game. With a number of this seasons Herts A team in their last season of U15 Rugby, many of the Girls that played in these games will be in contention for the Herts U15 A Team next season.

There is another U15 County Development Fixture this season on 27th April, and the venue and county's participating will be confirmed shortly.

U11s: Herts Youth Games

• U11 girls are reminded that Herts Youth Games are coming up, on 11th May. HYG is a tag tournament - but don't let that put you off as it is a terrific day out.
  
• Clubs are reminded that there will be up to 100 10-11 year old girls playing rugby at Hatfield that morning and afternoon - so if you are looking to recruit players this is the place to be!

Any girls in school years 5 and 6 can take part, and can play for the district they live in, go to school in OR play for a club in - so that means that no only will some girls have a choice about who they play for, but girls can also take part even if they do not actually live in Hertfordshire (so long as they meet one of the other requirements).

District council sports or recreation departments select teams - so girls need to contact them to tell them that they are interested. Some councils will select squads based on primary school tournaments, but there is no reason why they should not allow other girls to at least try out for the squad if they miss out on these tournaments. And in practice they are going to be delighted to have a few keen, experienced girls in their teams!

And if you district doesn't have a team... why not volunteer to run one for them? You'll never have a better recruitment opportunity.

U12s experience all four seasons in one match against Kent

In a game played in torrential rain, blazing sunshine, and all points in between Herts U12s fought hard against Kent today. This was much more inexperienced team than played against the same opposition at Hitchin in November, and that proved to be the difference against a more experienced opposition used to playing alongside each other as Kent ran out winners by 27-0. Herts were unlucky not to score - at least two of Kent's tries coming from breakaways after long periods of Herts pressure.

However, was that the girls clearly enjoyed the day - which is the main aim of the programme. U12 county rugby is all about giving girls more opportunities to get onto the field. It allows girls who have played little or no contact rugby to get a game, as well as encouraging girls who currently play mini rugby to stay in the game buy allowing them to play in an environment where they are not dominated (or ignored) because they are the only girl in the team.

The Herts U12 programme - which seems to be one of the largest and most active in the country has succeeded in these aims this year. Over 20 girls have played in a Hertfordshire shirt. While some of these girls are regular players, over half of those involved have either begun playing rugby at club level as a result, or revived rugby careers that had faltered. As a result we have gone some way to reduce the loss of girls from the game between the U9 and U12 age bands.

New and Emerging Schools Under 14 Rugby Festival - Hertfordshire Section Results

A total of 75 Girls from 5 Schools took part in the Herts Section of this National Tournament held at Welwyn RFC.

The 5 Schools participating were Marriotts (Stevenage) Nobel (Stevenage) Turnford (Broxborn) Chauncy (Ware) and Chancellors (Hatfield / Potters Bar) and the Winners were Chauncy, whilst the Runners-Up were Nobel. Chauncy now represent Herts at the Regional Section of the Tournament at Bishops Stortford on 12th March. We wish them the best of luck.

For many of the Girls it was their first experience of playing competitive Rugby and it is expected that some will continue to play at one of the choice of Girls Rugby Clubs in Herts.

East Region: blog replaces website

In case anyone has missed it, East Region are now using a blog instead of the old website for all news concerning both the senior and junior squads. The main news will continue to appear here on the Herts county blog, but not everything - so its worth keeping an eye on.

To help you do this the newsfeed from the East Blog appears at the top of the column to the left - here you will see links to the latest five articles on the East Blog, automatically updated when new articles appear. The link on the left under "Official rugby websites" has also now been changed to the new site.

Herts County U15 and Team Herts U12 March 9 fixture update

Welwyn RFC will now host a 3 way County U15 Development fixture on March 9 involving Herts, Kent and Middlesex. There will also a Herts U12 v. Kent U12 Game. Please can all teams meet at the Clubhouse at 1.00 and the Games should get underway from 1.30 onwards.

The U15 fixture has been organised on a Regional Training Date to give the 'next tier' of Players the opportunity to gain experience representing the County, as the 11 Herts U15 East Region Squad Players will be at Upminster. Depending on the number of U15 Players from Herts Girls Clubs that come to Welwyn on 9/3 we may even put out 2 Herts Development sides. Old Albanians hosted a 4 way U15 fixture today involving OA's, Saracens, Hertford and Welwyn and over 40 Players took part.

As well as the four Herts U15 teams that played at OA's today, Letchworth cluster with Ampthill, and Tabard (who host this seasons Herts Girls 7's) and Stevenage (who are actively recruiting) are in the early stages of setting up Girls Rugby Teams so the health of Girls Rugby in Herts is looking good at present.

Peter Mccullough
Herts Girls Rugby U15 Manager

Herts Girls 7's Sunday 18 May 2008

The 2008 Herts Girls 7's, which is an open tournament, will take place this season at Tabard RFC on Sunday 18 May.

Like in the previous two seasons (at Welwyn and Letchworth) the Festival will be split into Senior Girls (U18) and Junior Girls (U15) with a maximum of 16 teams in each Section. Enties are required before 30 March and will be taken a first come first served basis until the maximum number is reached.

The organiser is Laura-Jo Pearce from Tabard and she will be contacting all of last years entrants to invite them to the 2008 event in the next few days. If you did not participate last season and would like an entry form or you require further information, her contact e-mail address is tabardminis@hotmail.co.uk

National Cup First Round Results

U15 Pool 4:

Basford 0 London Irish 12
Welwyn 0 Reading 0
London Irish 31 Welwyn 7
Reading 0 Basford 32
London Irish 33 Reading 0
Basford 5 Welwyn 0

Pool Winners: London Irish U15

U18 Pool 5:

Welwyn / Basford 64 Reading 0

The Second Round of both the U15 and U18 Competitions is taking place on 30th March at venues to be confirmed.

Herts County U15 and Team Herts U12 fixtures for the rest of the Season

The provisional plan for the Herts County Girls U15’s Fixtures for the rest of this season is now:
· March 9 at Welwyn RFC: Herts v. Kent.
· April 20 (venue t.b.c.): Herts v. Kent v. Eastern Counties.

Middlesex and Staffordshire have also expressed an interest in participating so I will confirm details of the March 9 fixture in the next week or so.

Both of these Fixtures are on Regional Dates so it is great opportunity for many of those who played for the B team earlier in the season to play for the A Team and stay there!

Kent have also advised that they will be bringing a Team Kent U12 Team to play the Team Herts U12 Team on March 9.

Peter Mccullough
Herts Girls Rugby U15 Manager

Yorkshire Region v. East Region 10th February Results

East Region travelled en mass to Yorkshire on Sunday.

A big thank you goes to all at Dinnington Rugby Club who generously hosted the days Rugby and made all the visiting squad members and their families welcome.

The 3 East Region Squads had mixed results:

Women: Yorkshire Region 24 East Region 10.

U18's: Yorkshire Region 26 East Region 5 (Try: Hannah Gallagher Welwyn and Herts).

U15's: Yorkshire Region 5 East Region 25 (Tries: Courtney Arberry Welwyn and Herts, Alice Finn Saracens and Herts, Alex Grant Basford and Essex, Abbie Cook Basford and Essex, Olivia Stembridge Basford and Essex).

The next East Region fixture is against South Region on Sunday March 16.

RFUW: "Guidelines as to how best to treat a Referee. "

Guidelines as to how best to treat a Referee.

One of the things that rugby is renowned for is the respect players, coaches, and all participants in fact, show to each other, and to the referee, both on and off the pitch.

Respect is one of the main tenets of the ethos of rugby.

The RFUW , has produced the following guidelines relating to the respect players should show to a referee, to help ensure that the ethos of rugby is maintained.

1.The fixtures secretary needs to supply the society with all their fixtures as soon as they get them, after that they should ensure any additions and changes are notified as soon as they are known.

2.Confirm to referee the time and venue the Wednesday before the match in person, not via email, txt or voicemail, do not assume messages get read/heard

3.Reserve a parking space , near to the clubhouse if possible, for the referee.

4.Appoint someone to meet the referee when he arrives…they should be on the look out for him, not for the referee to go looking for the welcoming committee! when confirming the fixture with the referee, give the referee a name of this person so he/she knows .

5.Show ref to the changing room

6.Introduce to coaches .

7.Ensure your team knows how to address the referee, usually Sir or ref.

8.Ensure due respect is shown to the referee both on and off the pitch.

9.Ensure the referee is thanked after the match.

10.Ensure the referee is bought a drink and offered food after the match. Also offered their expenses (if appropriate).

11.Ensure, if players wish to discuss the match with the referee, back in the clubhouse, the discussion is respectful.

12.Ensure report cards are completed fairly, with balanced criticism, if necessary.

13.Work with your club to ensure spectators show respect for the referee.

14.Work with your club to ensure respect for discipline during the match is

shown, remembering that too many red cards brings problems for your club.

Finally remember that without referees, rugby matches, cannot take place. The Referee is part of the rugby community and deserves to be welcomed and shown respect, just as any member of our community deserves it. Referees are volunteers, and if they do not enjoy their role or feel unappreciated, they will leave the game, just like any other volunteer.

Yorkshire Region v. East Region Sun 10th Feb

Following todays training session, the Coaches have picked their squads for the Away Game in Yorkshire on Sun 10th February.

U18's: Sacha Acheson; Tia Arberry; Emma Burgess; Sarah Carmen; Rachel French; Hannah Gallagher; Hayley Guilder; Stacy Hargrave; Keziah Hopkins; Emma Jamieson; Mishka Mayers; Natalie Mcclarnon; Hannah Marques; Alex Robertson; Emily Scott; Casey Shults; Heather Stammers; Geri Thomas; Megan Williams.

U15's: Courtney Arberry; Megan Childs; Abbie Cook; Kelsey Davis; Alice-Mary Finn; Alex Grant; Jessica Harris; Claire Johnston; Madeleine Lockwood; Ellie Martin; Alice Nee; Katie Parke; Georgia Peedle; Yasmin Pemberton; Layla Pickering; Megan Robson; Olivia Stembridge; Sam Voyle; Maya Whitmore-Tennant; Lucie Wood.

The Games are being played at Dinnington Rugby Union Football Club, Lodge Lane, Dinnington, Nr Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S25 2PB. Tel: 01909 562044

Directions:From M1From the M1 Junction 31 take the A57 towards Worksop for 1.1 miles. Turn LEFT at the Red Lion crossroads onto the B6463 (Todwick rd). Follow this road for about 2 miles. At the roundabout take the second exit onto the B6060 (Outgang lane). After approximately 0.5 miles you will see Manor Motorsport on your right, then take the next LEFT onto Laughton road - if you see Tesco on your left you have missed the junction. Go over the Mini-roundabout with the Squirrel Pub on your right, and after 50 yards take your next LEFT onto Doe Quarry lane. Carry on up past Rother Valley College and then Dinnington Comprehensive until you reach the crossroads with the Lordens Hotel pub on your left. Go straight ahead at the crossroads and and will see the Rugby Club on your LEFT after 150 yards.From A1From the A1 Junction with the A57, follow the A57 for approximately 7 miles around the outskirts of Worksop going over numerous roundabouts. Once you see Sainsbury's on your left you continue on the A57 going over the next roundabout still on the A57, then at the next roundabout take the SECOND exit for Woodsetts and Dinnington. Follow Worskop road through into Woodsetts and at the crossroads in the village turn RIGHT onto Gildingwells road. Continue along this road as it turns into Woodsetts road and after approximately 1mile you will reach a crossroads. Turn LEFT onto Red Quarry Lane and continue for around 1 mile and the Rugby Club is on the RIGHT.

The Coach will be picking up players at the following locations:

• A12 Services Boreham Chelmsford 7.00am
• Lakeside Services Thurrock 7.30am
• South Mimms Services 8.15am
• Peterborough Services (A1) 9.15am

Please email me by tuesday pm to confirm that you are still available and to advise which pick up point you will be attending.Please ensure that you are at the relevant pick up point in time, as the coach must leave at the times shown to give sufficient time to travel to Sheffield. As discussed today, please ensure that you bring black shorts with you. Phil pjmrobson@btinternet.com 01375 640441 07852 258120

'New and Emerging' Schools Girls Under 14 Rugby Festival - Hertfordshire Section

Following the success and enjoyment of the event last year, this seasons New and Emerging Schools Girls Under 14 Rugby Festival (Herts Section) is being held at Welwyn RFC, Handside Lane Playing Field, Hobbs Way, Colgrove, Welwyn Garden City AL8 6HX on Friday 29th February 2008.

Teams are classified as Under 14 which means that you may include players up to and including Year 9, and consist of 12 players with a maximum squad size of 15.

Actual timings will be advised once we know how many Schools are taking part, and there will also be some coaching available on the day. If you would like some help or want to ask questions please get in touch.

Final date for School Entries to be considered is Friday 8th February 2008.

Schools in Herts are invited to get a side together; it will form a Development Day for Girls Rugby; and it will also allow the Winning School to represent the County in the Regional Finals on 12th March 2008.

Please return either by email to: paulfreestone@rfu.com

or

by post to: Peter Engledow, Rugby Football Union, Hertfordshire Sports Village, Hatfield Business Park, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL10 9EU

We look forward to hearing from you.

Paul Freestone
Community Rugby Coach
07738 029262

Girls Under 14 Competition Squad size & rules

Years 7,8 & 9 each School should only bring 15 players
· 12-a-side
· 6 Player uncontested Scrums (3 front row, 2 second row, No.8 (No.8 may NOT
Pick up from base of scrum)
· Midi Rugby Pitch (Half a full size pitch)
· Hand-offs allowed
· No kicking out-of Hand or for touch
· Kick-Offs replaced by scrum not drop kick
· Lineout – no supporting , 5 players in lineout, scrum half may not join, no “quick” or “Long” throws
· Rolling substitutions
· An Under 14 team can be made up of Yr 7s,8s &9s. However, it is worth remembering that some squads will be made up of all Yr 9 while others may be all Yr7s. Please take this into account when selecting your squads.

Please ensure that mouth guards are worn, and that players have warm clothing and a change of clothes.

Full RFUW Rules, Regulations and Guidelines for Under 14 Girls Rugby can be found on http://www.rfu.com/ (click on Women’s Rugby)

New Herts club blog launched

Saracens Girls are the latest team to launch a club blog to go alongside their "official" club website.

Saracens Girls Rugby covers the now familiar territory of clubs news, majoring in this case on their U15 team as well as the performance of their girls in county tournaments. As with other blogs, there are plenty of photos and match reports to enjoy along with an interesting and striking use of multicoloured text.

The site also produces a "newsfeed" that allows you to keep in touch with Sarries news from your own computer home page - or, come to that, from within this blog as the feed appears at the bottom of the right column!

East Region Trials - Herts County Player Selections

Following the East Region Trials that took place on 20th January, the following Herts County Players have been notified that they have been selected for the East Squads:

Under 18:

Tia Arberry (Welwyn)
Ema Burgess (Welwyn)
Frankie Dawson (Welwyn)
Hannah Gallagher (Welwyn)
Hayley Guilder (Letchworth)
Hannah Marques (Welwyn)
Alex Robertson (Welwyn)
Casey Shults (Welwyn)
Geri Thomas (Welwyn)
Sophie Tyler (Welwyn)
Megan Williams (Welwyn)

Under 15:

Courtney Arberry (Welwyn)
Megan Childs (Saracens)
Becky Dawson (Welwyn)
Alice Finn (Saracens)
Sydnie Grace (Saracens)
Rachel Mccullough (Welwyn)
Alice Nee (Saracens)
Georgia Peedle (Hertford)
Claire Shutler (Saracens)
Sam Voyle (Welwyn)
Emma Wilson (Welwyn)

Draft dates for 2008-9 published

The first draft of the 2008/9 season has been published.

2008:
County dates: 28/9, 19/10, 9/11, 30/11, 14/12.
National 10s: 12/10, 23/11

2009:
Regional dates: 11/1, 25/1, 1/2, 8/2, 21/2, 22/2, 8/3, 15/3.
National Cup: 22/3, 5/4, 26/4

All other dates are club training or match weekends.

U15 East Region Trials - 20th January 2008

The following U15 Herts Players have been nominated to go to the East Region Trial on 20th January:

Courtney Arberry
Jo Busch
Megan Childs
Becky Dawson
Charlie Faloona
Alice Finn
Sydnie Grace
Shira Kilgannon
Abi Lee
Rachel Mccullough
Alice Nee
Georgia Peedle
Claire Shutler
Sam Voyle
Emma Wilson

Support England in the Six Nations

February 2nd: England ‘A’ v Nomads 12:30, England v Wales 14:30
March 15th: England ‘A’ v Nomads 15:00, England v Ireland 16:45

Tickets (adults £8, U16’s £2) available on the gate.
Venue: London Irish, The Avenue, Sunbury on Thames, Middlesex,TW16 5EQ. Nearest train station: Sunbury(5 minute walk)
For further information telephone RFUW 020 88317996 or visit: www.rfu.com/women’s rugby

U18 Regional Trials - 20th January 2008.

The following girls have been nominated to go forward for the regional trials on the 20th January:-

Letchworth: Hayley Guilder, Jess Robinson, Laura Watson.

Welwyn Warriors: Tia Arberry, Ema Burgess, Frankie Dawson, Milly Fuggles, Hannah Gallagher, Mel Harcourt, Hannah Marques, Alex Robertson, Casey Shults, Charlie Sims, Hannah Smith, Geri Thomas, Sophie Tyler & Megan Williams.

Trial Venue: The Coopers Company & Coborn School, St Mary's Lane, Upminster, Essex, RM14 3HS.
Timings: Check-in starts 10:00am Trials start 11.00 a.m. Finish by 4:00pm
What to bring: Everything you would normally take to a game / tournament in Winter.
Registration: There is a new registration procedure this season which is on-line. You can register now. Please register as soon as you are able to. The process is:

· www.rfu.com
· Click on the ‘Womens Rugby’ tab (which should take you to the RFUW Home Page)
· Click on ‘Regional Programme Youth Trials now registering’ tab.
· Follow all instructions and register your details. Please answer all questions asked. NOTE THAT THERE IS A £5 REGISTRATION FEE THROUGH PAYPAL, SO YOU WILL NEED PARENTAL HELP TO DO THIS FOR YOU ON THEIR CREDIT CARD.

· You will receive confirmation e-mails from both the RFUW and Paypal.
· On the RFUW e-mail there are links with other info including the Regional Player Information Form (Permission from a Parent for you to take part) which must be signed and brought with you to the Trial.

As soon as you are able to, please could you contact me to tell me that you have received this invitation, confirm that you want to be put forward to the East Region Trial and Training / Games Programme and confirm which School you go to.

It may take a couple of attempts to complete - if the page does expire click this link http://www.jotform.com/form/73441646257

 to save going all the way back through the RFUW page.
If you have any problems registering, please telephone the Regional Coach, Clive Cramphorn for assistance.
Those successful will be contacted on the Sunday evening with confirmation of that.
Dave Marques,
U18 County Manager

New Head Coach for Welwyn Warriors

Welwyn Warriors go into 2008 with a new Head Coach. Following the departure of Luke Williams, Warriors management group spoke to several possible candidates interested in taking over the prime role with one of the most successful girls sides in England. They are delighted to announce that Clive Cramphorn, currently Head Coach at Old Albanians Girls is taking over the number one role at Welwyn.

Clive was formally welcomed to Welwyn by Club Chairman Mike Davies, following the Herts versus Canada match on Saturday. 'I'm delighted to announce that Clive Cramphorn will be the new Girls Head Coach here at Warriors, while also liaising with O.A.s.' said Davies.

Team Manager Dave Marques explained, ' The RFUW are very keen that the Girls game keeps expanding. There are not enough Girls yet at O.A's to run full teams & play matches. By linking with Warriors, the O.A's Girls will get match time with Warriors and get great experience playing alongside some of the best players in the Country. From a Welwyn perspective, we've got the East Region and Herts U18 Lead Coach & we grow our squad size. This has been a major problem for us this season with our ongoing injury list. It's a win/win situation. RFUW Regional Development Manager Amanda Bate was delighted when I told her the news!'

Cramphorn is really excited about his new role. 'It's like being asked to manage one of the Big Four Premiership Football Teams' he quipped! 'Luke did a fantastic job here, and together with Chris Gallagher we'll build on that and aim to take take the Welwyn Warriors onto yet more success!'

Maple Leafs break Herts

Hertfordshire U18 Girls lost 5-41 to the Canada Girls U18 National Team at Welwyn RFC. On a beautiful sunny afternoon, The Canadians scored first through Maggie Cogger-Orr and Dana Achtemichuck converted to lead 7-0. Herts fought back and 'The Green Machine' piled on the pressure, the Herts forwards kept recyling the ball and eventually this paid off with Prop Milly Fuggles and skipper Hannah Gallagher jointly claiming the push over try. 7-5. It stayed this way until just before half-time when a quick kick and chase saw Susan Heald score again for Canada.

In the second half the Canadians took full advantage of their superior fitness and piled on the pressure. Despite some brave defence, the Herts girls were being worn down and Brehannah Hopgood, Clare Miller, Kayla Moleschi, Rebecca Le-Fevre and Amanda Lalonde all went over to score for Canada. Achtemichuck scored a second conversion and Rebecca Delaney score the final 2 points for the tourists.

Herts and Welwyn Warriors Captain, Hannah Gallagher spoke for all of the Hertfordshire Girls, which was well augmented by some Essex players, when she said what an honour it was to play a full National side. 'We're all really tired, we all had to work so hard but it was a great experience and a really enjoyable match to play in'.

Afterwards Canadian Organiser, Penny Delaney paid tribute to the RFUW for stepping in at such a late date to help Canada replace the cancelled USA tour. 'I'd like to thank everyone at Welwyn for staging the match and making us feel so welcome, thank you for the hospitality and the great food' she said. The Canadians would like to make the match an annual fixture and Hertfordshire & Welwyn are only too happy to oblige and will look forward to it next season.

Tha Canadians made it 2-0 in the bar afterwards comfortably winning the 'Mars bar & cola' challenge. They build 'em tough in Canada!

Hertfordshire U18 v Canada U19: Rugby Canada's official preview

Rugby Canada have published a prominent preview of the tour by their U19 team, which begins at Welwyn on the 29th when their national U19 team takes on our U18 girls.

The article says that "Rugby Canada's Under-19 Women's team is set to depart for a tour of England on December 26th, through January 6th, where they will take on three English county sides over the Christmas holiday period.

"Taking on the top regional sides in the south of England, Canada first takes on Hertfordshire at Welwyn RFC on December 29th. Next the Canadian women will take on Berkshire/Buckinghamshire at Reading RFC on January 2nd. The tour wraps up with a match against Surrey/Sussex at Sutton and Epsom RFC.

"The team will live and train at Stoke Mandeville Stadium - a sports and leisure centre that is home to England's top wheelchair athletes.The players selected to travel to England are:

Dana Achtemichuck, Ottawa, ON; Katie Archibald, Hubley, NS; Caitlin Beaton, Hepworth, ON; Amanda Bedard, Erb's Cove, NB; Brooke Clubb, Sarnia, ON; Maggie Cogger-Orr, Gloucester, ON; Becky Delaney, Caledon, ON;Danika Gulliford, St. John's, NL; Susan Heald, Burlington, ON; Amber Hill, Charlottetown, PEI; Brehannah Hopgood, Wolfville, NS; Amanda Lalonde, Edmonton, AB; Rebecca Lefevre, Ottawa, ON; Jill MacLaren, Ottawa, ON; Marin MacLeod, Scotsburn, NS; Claire Miller, St. John's, NL; Chelsey Minter, Sidney, BC; Kayla Moleschi, Williams Lake, BC; Jessica Nixon, Virden, MB; Kendra Reeves, Abbotsford, BC; Kayla Roberts, St. John's, NL; Danielle St. Germain, Sarnia, ON; Stephanie Thiessen, Abbotsford, BC; Sarah Verreault, Ottawa, ON; Lauren Wizowski, Lindsay, ON

Schedule
December 29th vs. Hertfordshire at Welwyn RFC
January 2nd vs. Berkshire/Buckinghamshire at Reading RFC
January 4th vs. Surrey/Sussex at Sutton and Epsom RFC"

One name in the party will be familiar to the county's girls - second row Lauren Wizowski was a member of the IE Weldon Secondary School's touring team who played against Letchworth, Welwyn and Hertford last Easter. She was also part of the Canadian U19 team that lost to England and beat Wales either side of the Weldon tour.

In fact most previous Canadian tours have been based around internationals - and these are games that the Canadians tend to win (well, except when they play England!). Canadian women's rugby has never been stronger than it is today. The senior adult side are now fourth - even possibly third - in the world. This could be the toughest game our girls have ever played - and it certainly will not be one to miss!

Cash boost for girls rugby in Herts

Girls’ rugby in Hertfordshire has received a great early Christmas present – a grant of £4,074 county’s teams and development programmes.

This comes on the back of a hugely successful first half of the season, with the U15 team winning two tournaments and scoring nearly 300 points while conceding only a single try, the U18s finishing runners-up at both the Essex and Middlesex festivals, and the new U12 programme resulting in the county hosting the country’s first ever inter-county tournament for the age group.

The grant will be used to provide playing kit and training resources for the teams, and will also allow the county to promote the game more widely, especially to girls already playing mini-rugby who will not be aware how they can stay in the game after their twelfth birthdays. At present most rugby clubs in the county have girls playing in their junior sides, but very few stay in the game once boys’ and girls’ rugby divides – tackling this loss of talent is a key aim of the county’s Women’s and Girls’ Group.

The money is coming from the Local Network Fund, an initiative resulting from the Government’s Every Child Matters Strategy which aims to improve outcomes for all children and young people. The fund, administered locally by the Hertfordshire Community Foundation, enables local voluntary and community groups to develop projects and activities for young people with limited opportunities or access to services.

Girls’ rugby fits firmly within this as at present, despite over thirty clubs offering teenage boys the opportunity to play rugby, only four clubs in the county play regular girls fixtures. Rugby is a unique game, offering opportunities for players of a wide range of sizes and athletic backgrounds to work together as a team – it builds self-confidence and self-esteem which those involved in running girls’ rugby in the county want to make available to as many players as possible. The Local Network grant is a big step forward in making this happen.

Herts Womens and Girls Rugby Development Group Meeting Mon 14th Jan 2008

Confirmation that the next meeting of the HWGRDG is taking place at Welwyn RFC on Mon 14th Jan starting at 7.30.

If you have not previously attended these meetings (usually 3-4 times a year) this group works together to plan Tournaments, run the County Teams, exchange Best Practice and advice, and to try and help each other develop Womens and Girls Rugby in Herts.

If your club does not send a rep to the group and would like to do so, or if you are a regular attendee who has a specific Agenda item, then please e-mail me on peter.mccullough@ntlworld.com

Pictures of the U12s

A little after-the-even, but some rather good pictures from the U12 games at Ealing and Hitchin have been received.

In the first, coach Natalie Threlfall warms up the girls at sunny Ealing prior to the game with Middlesex:

Action from the game - a Hertfordshire scrum:
Then two weeks later, the return at arctic Hitchin - a picture which gives just a small hint about the temperature. The girls are not gathering together for warmth, though - this was one of many Hertfordshire mauls...

Senior regional trials: don't miss out

Regional rugby is now an essential stepping stone for anyone with any ambitions to play at the highest levels of the game. Nominations for this season's Senior Regional Trials (to be held on the 19 December) close of Friday - but at present East have had ten players registered!

If you know are interested in playing for the regional team, or know of any interested players, please get them to register online at http://www.rfu.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/rfuhome.community_detail/storyid/5972 .

Anyone aged 18 or over on the date of the trial is eligible to attend, provided they also are members of an East Region club, or were born, live or attend college/university in the region. You also need to be eligible to play for England.

Trialists - in particular those still playing at U18 level - are advised to consult their coaching staff before registering, especially if they have not played at regional level before.

U15 County Fixtures fixtures for rest of this season

Last Sunday was the last official County Fixture date of this season. One of the biggest successes for Herts U15's was that we had sufficient numbers of Players to be able to field both A and B (Development) Teams in the Festivals we played in.

After Christmas the Regional Programme begins, but we are very keen for the B Team Players and those not selected for East Region from the A Team to continue playing Herts County fixtures on some of the Regional dates. We are therefore looking for other Counties who would like to do the same.

We would be able to host the Herts U15 Fixtures at Welwyn RFC on any of the Regional dates. Please contact Peter Mccullough on peter.mccullough@ntlworld.com if your County would like to play Herts U15 after Christmas.

County Festival at Newark RFC Results

In the absence of Herts U18's, two Herts U15 Teams (A's and B's) travelled to Newark RFC in Nottinghamshire for a County Festival now in it's second year. It was an emotional day as the A Squad have been together for two seasons (due to the age band change) and this was to be their final fixture.

Herts A and last years Winners Notts, Lincs and Derbyshire (NLD) both won their Groups without conceeding a point and met in the Final. In a very intense game played under floodlights, Herts won 5-0 (the only Try of the game coming at the end of the first half) and had to defend valiently throughout the second half to protect their slim lead.

Herts B's lost both their Group games, but the experience gained at this level will be very valuable as many of the B Players will step into the Herts A Team next season when half of this A Team move up to U18 Rugby.

Results affecting Herts U15 Teams:

Herts 'A' 53 (Alice Finn Tx3 Sam Voyle Tx1 Claire Shutler Tx2 Cx4 Courtney Arberry Tx1 Abbi Lee Tx1 Megan Childs Tx1) NLD 'B' 0

Herts 'B' 0 NLD 'A' 35

Herts 'A' 40 (Shira Kilgallon Tx1 Alice Finn Tx1 Claire Shutler Tx2 Cx5 Sam Voyle Tx1 Alice Nee Tx1) Northants and Beds 0

Herts 'B' 0 Leicestershire 45

Final: Herts 'A' 5 (Megan Childs Tx1) Notts, Lincs and Derbyshire 'A' 0

Newark Festival U18s.

Reluctantly we've had to pull the U18s out of this. Very best estimates gave us a squad of 14 on the day. Given the extensive list of walking wounded at both Letchworth & Welwyn, John Birch & I are looking into the possibilites of Touch Rugby while wearing American football padding & helmets for next season……….;-)

County Festival at Newark RFC 2nd Dec - update

Final information regarding the County Festival at Newark RFC on Sun 2nd December is as follows:

The venue is: The Rugby Ground, Kelham Road, Newark, Notts, NG24 1WN. Tel: 01636 702355.

12.45: Managers / Coaches Register Teams.

1.00: Changing Rooms available (please come ready changed if possible)

1.30: Warm–up and move to pitch allocated.

2.00: First Games of the POOL STAGES to start.

3.45: POOL Games to have finished and FINALS to start asap (Floodlights are available).

4.30-5.00: Presentations and post match food.

The POOLS for each of the Competitions are below, where they will play each other on the same pitch throughout.

U18 POOL A: East Midlands; NLD (Notts, Lincs and Derby) 'A'; Yorkshire.

U18 POOL B: NLD ‘B’; Hertfordshire; Leicestershire.

U15 POOL A: NLD 'A'; Hertfordshire 'B'; Leicestershire.

U15 POOL B: NLD ‘B’; East Midlands; Hertfordshire ‘A’.

Games will be played 15 mins each way, with a 2 minute half-time (this maybe adjusted to ensure all games are played whilst we there is light), so please ensure that you are ready to enter the pitch for your game.

Directions: on A46 towards Newark after going through Farndon where you will arrive at a roundabout signposted Newark B6326 road and a sign for Lincoln A46, take the first exit to Lincoln. You are now on the by-pass where you will arrive at another roundabout (you should see the club on your left), take the first exit (left) signposted Mansfield A617 and a sign directing you to Newark & Sherwood District Council. Travel along this road for about 200 yards, with the club on the right.

RFU launch second year of President's XV awards

RFU President Bob Taylor today launched this season’s President’s XV recognition awards for English rugby.

The awards offer £10,000 in prize money to clubs to reward their excellence and innovation in the grassroots game.cSixty five clubs applied for the first set of awards, sparking furious debate among a panel of distinguished judges who will be joined by RFUW President Gill Burns.

The winners came from everywhere from Cockermouth in Cumbria to Jersey in the Channel Islands, as well as Hertfordshire, who all addressed the RFU’s Community Rugby themes of More People, Better Places, Access for All and Enjoyment.

This year nominations can be made online at www.rfu.com/presidentsxv and Taylor is anticipating a bumper crop of entries before the March 1 deadline next year. “The President’s XV awards launched by my predecessor Bob Rogers last year clearly caught the imagination of our clubs,” said Taylor.

“There are thousands of volunteers out there whose expertise and innovative ideas help rugby to thrive at a grassroots level and we are delighted to be able to recognise their excellent work.

“We were able to publish their models of good practice this summer and hope that will inspire more clubs to emulate and surpass all that good work over the coming months."

This year there are three new categories reflecting activity within the grassroots game.

• The Seal of Approval category will reward one accredited club for the safe and exciting way it introduces mini rugby to children and holds their attention.
• Schools will also be rewarded in the Schools Development category that recognises teams of staff, volunteers and partners who offer rugby opportunities to girls and boys.
• Go Play Rugby reflects this season’s nationwide recruitment campaign and will recognise clubs for the number of new players they have attracted and the methods used by their recruitment teams.

The President’s XV awards are also supported by Rugby World magazine. Editor Paul Morgan is part of a judging panel that includes Taylor, Rogers, Senior Vice President Brian Williams, Junior Vice President John Owen and England’s most capped player Jason Leonard.

PRESIDENT'S XV CATEGORIES

1 Seal of Approval club of the year – A club that introduces mini rugby in an exciting and safe way and retains players well into their teens
2 Club School Links – A club with an exceptional project that reaches out to local schools, supports teachers and brings young people into clubs
3 Schools Development – A school that offers high quality rugby opportunities for boys and girls inside and beyond the school gates
4 More Than A Game – The winners will have done the most to ensure 16-24 year olds keep playing rugby
5 Girl Power – Show your feminine side with a project that has greatly increased the number of women and girls playing
6 More Referees – A club that creatively encourages and supports its members to take up the whistle
7 More Coaches – For recruiting and developing coaches for all the players at the club to encourage more enjoyable rugby
8 More Volunteers – Using innovative ways to building a first rate 'off-pitch' team
9 Veterans – Increasing the number of players over 35 and encouraging competition, friendship and fun
10 Social Inclusion – For clubs that have reached out to communities who traditionally have little contact with the game
11 Community – Making a difference to the local community through innovative use of facilities and personnel
12 Better Facilities – Transforming playing and clubhouse facilities to improve the rugby experience for all members
13 Technology – An award for a club that uses technology and its tools to benefit all its members
14 Fundraising Venture – Innovative events that have captured the imagination of members to raise funds
15 Go Play Rugby – Rewarding the success of recruitment teams in attracting new players in an eye-catching way

2007 WINNERS AND RUNNERS-UP

1 Youth Rugby – Jersey. Runners-up – Castle Cary, Perranporth.
2 School Links – Bolton. Runners-up – Colchester, Witham.
3 More Than A Game – Caldy. Runners-up – Dorking.
4 Girl Power – Cockermouth. Runners-up – Darlington Mowden Park, Welwyn Warriors.
5 More Referees – University of Bristol. Runners-up – Handsworth.
6 More Coaches – Windsor. Runners-up – Northolt.
7 More Volunteers – Cockermouth.
8 Veterans – Eastern Counties RFU. Runners-up – Windsor.
9 Social Inclusion – Not awarded.
10 Community – Aretians. Runners-up – Aspatria, Knutsford.
11 Better Facilities – Chelmsford. Runners-up – Clee Hill, Peterborough.
12 Modernisation – Letchworth Garden City. Runners-up – Northolt, Windsor.
13 Fundraising Event – Not awarded.
14 Fundraising Venture – Bridlington.
15 Enjoyment – Mansfield. Runners-up – Market Harborough, Ryde.

Senior regional trials

The regional programme is fast approaching and the senior trials are on 16th December. For senior players to trial they need to register on-line this year.

An interested senior player should click here. This is the only way this year to register for trials. Closing date for seniors to register is 7th December.

Seniors wishing to trial should be registered with a club which is affiliated to the RFUW or be attending a University.

International Challenge for Herts U18s!

On Saturday, December 29th, Noon kick off, Hertfordshire's U18s will be taking on Canada's U19 Women at Welwyn RFC. As we know from I.E. Weldon, The Canadians are sure to be competitive! Please confirm to me asap if you will be away for the match.

 

It should be a great game. Get the Christmas cobwebs out of your system and come along to cheer the girls on!

 

Dave Marques,

U18s Team Manager

Essex County Festival Results

The Herts Girls Squads went to a very cold Harlow to play at the Essex County Festival.

In what is one of the toughest county competitions, the Herts u15's produced argueably their best ever result. They retained the junior trophy by winning all five games without conceding a point due to some outstanding defence, excellent passing and support, and a very solid scrum. The whole u15 squad should be very proud of an exceptional performance. The game that decided the winners was, as always, against Essex and Herts took two of the few opportunities in a very tight contest.


Results affecting Herts U15 Team:
Herts 27 (Georgia Peedle Tx2 Alice Finn Tx2 Sam Voyle Tx1 Claire Shutler Cx1) Leicestershire 0
Herts 32 (Courtney Arberry Tx1 Lotte Clapp Tx1 Sam Voyle Tx2 Alice Finn Tx1 Claire Shutler Tx1 Cx1) Eastern Counties 0
Herts 22 (Courtney Arberry Tx1 Cx1 Abbi Lee Tx2 Georgia Peedle Tx1) Oxfordshire 0
Herts 10 (Claire Shutler Tx1 Courtney Arberry Tx1) Essex 0
Herts 15 (Melissa Gargaro Tx1 Jo Busch Tx1 Georgia Peedle Tx1) Middlesex 0



The Herts U18's finished runner's up to Essex.


Results affecting Herts U18 Team:
Herts 12 Leicestershire 0
Herts 5 Eastern Counties 5
Herts 0 Essex 5

Herts triumphant at first ever U12 girls "festival"

Hertfordshire U12s - with girls drawn from Hitchin, Letchworth, Saracens, Stevenage and Welwyn - were winners of the first inter-county girls U12 festival, played at Hitchin this afternoon. Organised in less than two weeks notice, after Essex cancelled the U12 section of the girls festival at Harlow, the afternoon was a remarkable success. Hitchin RFC proved to be excellent hosts, providing welcome hot food at the end of a bitterly cold day.

Opposition for the day came from Kent (a combination put together by Beckenham, but incuding girls from Old Alleyans and Mitcham) and Middlesex (Ealing RFC's girls, who had hosted Herts two weeks before). All the country teams are currently "unofficial", but that did not stop the girls taking things very seriously indeed.

Hertfordshire and Kent opened the proceedings, and within a minute Herts were two tries down - but remarkably these would be the only tries the home team would conceed all day. By halftime the score was back to 10-10, and in the second half Herts gradully pulled away to win 30-10.

Kent played Middlesex next and again started well, leading 20-5 at half-time. Middlesex, however, gradually pulled back over the second period dominating most of the half and pulling the score back to 20-15 with less than two minutes before Kent finally broke out of defence to score to seal the match 25-15.

Finally Middlesex took on Herts, with the home side looking to avenge their defeat in Ealing two weeks before. This proved to be a very physical game with both sides relying on strong forwards play to move down the field. At half-time the score was only 5-0 to Herts and the game was wide open, but in the second half the visitors began to tire as Herts drove in for three more tries to win 20-0.

Results:

Hertfordshire 30, Kent 10
Kent 25, Middlesex 15
Hertfordshire 20, Middlesex 0

	P	W	L	F	A	Pts
Hertfordshire	2	2	0	50	10	4
Kent	2	1	1	35	45	2
Middlesex	2	0	2	15	45	0

Saracens half-price ticket offer!

Saracens have had a storming start to the season, playing some thrilling rugby and averaging 32 points a game. It's their best start for nine years and they want to invite YOU to come along and enjoy it for HALF PRICE* - that's JUST £10 for an adult ticket, and £5 for juniors (U16).

This Half Price Ticket Offer will be available to anyone connected with Herts Women and Girls Rugby for Saracens Heineken Cup match against Viadana on Saturday 8 th December, 3pm at Vicarage Road Stadium, Watford.

To buy your tickets call the Ticket Team on 01923 475222 quoting "Ladies Rugby Offer". Offer closes 5pm, Thursday 7th December.

There will be World Cup stars in action, plus there's as much entertainment off the pitch as there is on it, including cheerleaders, face painters and giveaways for the kids, meaning there's something for everyone!

*Half price tickets will be situated in the South Stand and offer a 50% saving on the matchday price.

U12 girls' tournament in Hitchin: final details

Thanks to the generosity of Hitchin RFC we not only have a ground for tomorrow, but also hot post match refreshments. Our hosts are providing a pasta meal for all players from c3pm.

Please aim to arrive at about 12.30 so that we can start at 1.30 at the very latest - some of our visitors are coming quite a significant distance, particularly for this age group, and we want them to be able to get away before it gets too dark.

The three teams will be "Hertfordshire", "Middlesex" (mainly Ealing), and "Kent" (Beckenham and others). We will probably play the two Kentish games first - as they have furtherest to travel - and games will be 10-12 minutes each way. This would give us a (very draft) timetable of:

1.30 Hertfordshire v Kent
2.00 Kent v Middlesex
2.30 Hertfordshire v Middlesex

Rules will essentially be those of the U10/U11 continuum, suitably adapted dependent on player numbers.

See you tomorrow!

Essex County Festival 18/11 at Harlow RFC - U18s

Directions for Sunday. Chris Gallagher is Coach/Manager for the day. Please offer help with running touch etc. Luke, Clive & I are all away this particular weekend.

 

From the A1 or M1. Take the A414 through Hertford to Harlow. As you come into Harlow you will cross the River Stort and the main railway line. At the next roundabout take the 4th exit into Elizabeth way. The club is 500 yards ahead on your right.

 

Venue: Harlow Rugby Club: Ram Gorse, Elizabeth Way, Harlow, Essex CM20 2JQ. Tel: 01279 429750 (N.B. Elizabeth Way is a Clearway. Parking is illegal on the Highway, new cycle track, grass verge, pavement. This applies to BOTH sides of the road. The council will have parking wardens issuing penalty tickets to offenders.) If you do not a pre-issued Car Parking Voucher for the Rugby Club you will need to use the nearby trading estate or public car parks.

There are 6 Counties participating, both at U15 and U18, who will play each other in a round robin tournament. All the games (see below) are being played on 3 pitches, and this means that the start time for the first game is 10.00, with registration at 9.00.  

Teams: Essex(A); Eastern Counties(B); Herts(C); Leicestershire(D); Oxfordshire(E); Middlesex(F)

Schedule of Games K.O. Times:

U18's:
10.00 P1 A v. B P2 C v. D P3 E v. F
11.00 P1 F v. A P2 B v. C P3 D v. E
12.00 P1 F v. B P2 A v. D P3 C v. E
1.00 P1 A v. C P2 E v. B P3 D v. F
2.00 P1 A v. E P2 B v. D P3 C v. F

Dave Marques 

U18 Team Manager

Girls' Contact Rugby: Age Groups for Clubs and Schools

RFUW have issued the following summary of age group rules for girls rugby from U12 to adult level:

Age Group	U12’s	U13’s	U14’s	U15’s	U16’s	U17’s	U18’s
A player’s age grade is determined by their age at midnight on 31st August at the beginning of each season. Therefore if a player is aged 11 on 31st August then they are U12’s for the season.
School Year (for most players these age groups relate to these school years.)	Year 7	Year 8	Year 9	Year 10	Year 11	Year 12	Year 13
Clubs	a. Mixed rugby with the boys (1 year only) b. Girls Only sides comprising U11’s and U12’s (RFU Continuum U10’s rules)*			Girls only – can comprise of players who are U13’s U14’s and U15’s. (RFUW U15’s rules)**			Girls only – can comprise of players who are U16’s, U17’s and U18’s. Once players are 18 they can also play senior rugby. (RFUW U18’s rules)
Schools	a. Mixed rugby with the boys (1 year only) b. Girls Only sides comprising U11’s and U12’s (RFU Continuum U9 rules)*	Girls only – can comprise of players who are U11’s, U12’s and U13’s. (RFU Continuum U12’s rules but uncontested scrums and reduce numbers if necessary)*	Girls only - can comprise of players who are U12’s, U13’s and U14’s. (RFU Continuum U12’s rules but uncontested scrums and reduce numbers if necessary)*	Girls only – can comprise of players who are U13’s U14’s and U15’s. (RFUW U15’s rules but uncontested scrums)**	Girls only – can comprise of players who are U14’s, U15’s and U16’s. (RFUW U15’s rules but uncontested scrums)**	Girls only – can comprise of players who are U15’s, U16’s and u17’s. (RFUW U15’s rules but uncontested scrums)**	Girls only – can comprise of players who are U16’s, U17’s and U18’s. (RFUW U18’s rules but uncontested scrums unless both schools agree to play contested. Only players trained in the front row should participate in contested scrums)**
Emerging Schools (The girls age group for Emerging Schools will be reviewed at then end of the season)			Girls only - can comprise of players who are U12’s, U13’s and U14’s. (See Emerging Schools information for tournament rules and regulations)

* RFU Continuum rules and Regulations can be found on; www.rfu.com under regulations and then Continuum Regulations and Continuum Rules of Play.

** RFUW age group rules can be found at www.rfu.com women’s rugby and then follow links to “youth” and “rules and regs 2007/08” (http://www.rfu.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/RFUHome.Community_Detail/StoryID/17291 )

For further safety guidance please see the new IRB Resource “Rugby Ready” at: http://www.irbrugbyready.com/irbrr/en/home.jsp

U12s vs "Kent": venue confirmed

Next Sunday's U12 game will now be at Hitchin RFC. We will have access to the pitches from c12.30, so that should give us time to warm up and kick-off by 1.30 at the latest.

The address of the club is King George V Playing Fields, Old Hale Way, Hitchin, SG5 1XL and directions can be found at http://hitchinrfc.com/directions.html. It is suggested that you do not arrive too much before 12.30 as Hitchin juniors have a game in the morning so the car park might be a bit full before 12.00!

Potentially we could have around 14 players or more so, depedent on the number Kent bring and the number we have, that might mean one big game of c11 per side (if we keep strictly to RFU10/U11 rules) or maybe two 7 a side game, or something similar. We'll see on the day. Whatever happens it should be a good afternoon with something for everyone. Hitchin may be able to lay on food etc. as well.

Essex County Festival Sun 18th Nov Harlow RFC

The following details are now confirmed:

Venue: Harlow Rugby Club Ground & Clubhouse: Ram Gorse, Elizabeth Way, Harlow, Essex CM20 2JQ. Tel: 01279 429750 (N.B. Elizabeth Way is a Clearway. Parking is illegal on the Highway, new cycle track, grass verge, pavement. This applies to BOTH sides of the road. The council will have parking wardens issuing penalty tickets to offenders.) If you do not a pre-issued Car Parking Voucher for the Rugby Club you will need to use the nearby trading estate or public car parks.

There are 6 Counties participating, both at U15 and U18, who will play each other in a round robin tournament. All the games (see below) are being played on 3 pitches, and this means that the start time for the first game is 10.00, with registration at 9.00. Unfortunately there is not space for the Herts U15 B team to be involved at this Festival.

Teams: Essex(A); Eastern Counties(B); Herts(C); Leicestershire(D); Oxfordshire(E); Middlesex(F)

Schedule of Games K.O. Times:

U15's:
10.30 P1 A v. B P2 C v. D P3 E v. F
11.30 P1 F v. A P2 B v. C P3 D v. E
12.30 P1 F v. B P2 A v. D P3 C v. E
1.30 P1 A v. C P2 E v. B P3 D v. F
2.30 P1 A v. E P2 B v. D P3 C v. F

U18's:
10.00 P1 A v. B P2 C v. D P3 E v. F
11.00 P1 F v. A P2 B v. C P3 D v. E
12.00 P1 F v. B P2 A v. D P3 C v. E
1.00 P1 A v. C P2 E v. B P3 D v. F
2.00 P1 A v. E P2 B v. D P3 C v. F

Directions to Harlow RFC:

From the A1 or M1. Take the A414 through Hertford to Harlow. As you come into Harlow you will cross the River Stort and the main railway line. At the next roundabout take the 4th exit into Elizabeth way. The club is 500 yards ahead on your right.

From M11. Take the Harlow Exit junction 7 and follow the signs to Harlow.
Turn left at the Second Avenue Roundabout, At the next two roundabouts go straight ahead and then at the Town Centre Roundabout take the Third Exit onto a short section of dual carriageway. At the next roundabout go straight ahead onto 5th avenue. Go straight ahead at the Sainsburys roundabout and at the Station Roundabout at the bottom of the hill turn left into Elizabeth Way. The club is 500 yards ahead on your right.

U18 Results at Ealing.

The U18s finished Second to Hampshire 'A'. Details as follows:-

Hampshire 'A' 21 - Hertfordshire 0

Middlesex 0 - Hertfordshire 48 Tries: Alex Robertson, Hannah Gallagher 2, Megan Williams, Sophie Tyler 2, Frankie Dawson 2. Con Hannah Gallagher 4.

East Midlands 0 - Hertfordshire 14 Tries: Alex Robertson, Hannah Gallagher. Con: Hannah Gallagher, Geri Thomas.

Hampshire 'B' 0 - Hertfordshire 10 Tries: Hannah Gallagher, Megan Williams.

Dave Marques,
U18 Team Manager.

Middlesex County Festival: U12 match

"Middlesex" U12 Girls 20, "Hertfordshire" 15.

After everything that had gone before it was great to finally see this fixture start - and what an excellent game is was. The Herts team was completely different from the one that played at Rochford - but this means that the U12s have fielded 12 girls so far this season, with at least another two in the squad who have yet to play. If only we could get them all together what a team at the same time we would have!

Anyway, our opponents - "Middlesex" - were provided by Ealing, who have a squad of over a dozen U12 girls and are clearly going to be the name to look for in girls rugby over the next few years. All coming from a single club, they worked very well together - but the Herts team, with only a few minutes to prepare as a team, matched them in most parts of the game. An even first half ended at two tries each, and the score stayed at 10-10 until well into the seconf half thanks to some heroic defence by Herts, the hosts crossing the Herts line on three occasions but being unable to get the ball down each time.

Eventually the deadlock was broken, but a swift Herts response - with superb support and inter-passing - brought the scores level at 15-15. A break down the left with only two minutes to go then put Middlesex ahead again, a lead they held onto until the final whistle.

Hopefully the next U12 game will be on the 18th... we have opponents, we just need a venue!

Middlesex County Festival: U15 Tournament

Herts U15's entered two Teams into a Festival for the first time and a total of 32 Girls (from Saracens, Hertford and Welwyn) represented the Herts A and B (Development) teams today. In total there were 5 County Teams playing in the Middlesex Festival who played each other in a round robin:

Results affecting Herts U15 Teams:
Herts A 17 (Clare Shutler Tx1 Cx1 Georgia Peedle Tx2) East Midlands 0
East Midlands 10 Herts B 12 (Jo Busch Tx2 Abbi Maxwell Cx1)
Herts A 21 (Sam Voyle Tx1 Alice Finn Tx1 Georgia Peedle Tx1 Clare Shutler Cx3) Middlesex 0
Hampshire 24 Herts B 0
Herts A 0 Hampshire 5
Herts A 35 (Courtney Arberry Tx1 Cx2 Clare Shutler Tx1 Cx3 Lotte Clapp Tx1 Alice Finn Tx1 Shira Kilgallon Tx1) Herts B 0
Middlesex 19 Herts B 0


Tournament Final Standings:
Winners: Hampshire
Runners Up: Herts A
3rd: Middlesex
4th: Herts B
5th: East Midlands

RFUW call for your help!

RFUW need your input to help them develop the game and have prepared six surveys tailored to key groups - Administrator, Coach, Parent, Player, Supporter and Volunteer.

Please find time to fill in an appropriate surveys (below). At the end of the survey you can include your email address or contact number for inclusion into a prize draw - prizes include:

• Women or Girls team coaching session with Gary Street (England Head Coach)
• Improve your coaching session with Club Coach Officer (CCO)
• Museum of Rugby and Twickenham Stadium Tour for up to 15 Members of your Women or girls team
• Pair of branded rugby boots plus 2 Women's International Tickets
• Signed Ball & 2 Women's International Tickets
• Signed England Women's Shirt & 2 Women's International Tickets
• Selection of Canterbury Kit
• Gilbert Training balls & ball bag
• £15 Rugby Store Gift Voucher plus 2 Women's International Tickets
• £20 Rugby Store Gift Voucher plus 2 Women's International Tickets
• £25 Rugby Store Gift Voucher plus 2 Women's International Tickets
• Pair of Asics Trainers plus 2 Women's International Tickets
• Pair of Asics Trainers plus 2 Women's International Tickets

You have until the 18th January 2008.

• Administrator
• Coach
• Parent
• Player
• Supporter
• Volunteer

U12 game on Sunday back on again!

Sunday's U12 game at the Middlesex Festival in Ealing is now back on again thanks to Saracens finding us some new players "at the last minute". Middlesex will also lend us some girls if necessary. So - we'll see you there in time for a 2pm start.

In addition a team from Kent is asking for a fixture on 18th November... if we can find a venue!

County U15s After Christmas!

While some girls will no doubt 'Step Up' to regional level after Christmas, Jess Lane will continue a County U15 side. Several Counties have indicated that they would like to continue a County side to provide regular, competitive rugby for girls not on the regional programme.

This will very likely mean that girls who just missed out on County selection earlier in the season will have another chance to make the grade and represent Hertfordshire in full County matches.

The regional weekends are 20 Jan, 3 Feb, 10 Feb, 9 March, 16 March.

Further details will be published when fixtures are confirmed.

Dave Marques