Girlz Allowed - Saracens Girls Rugby Programme

Hertfordshire's Six Nations stars

Amy Garnett
(Saracens & England)

Caroline Collie 
(OA Saints & Scotland)

Three players from Hertfordshire clubs are in their national squads for the Women's Six Nations.

Established England stars Amy Garnett and Maggie Alphonsi began the tournament by helping England to a 19-0 win over Wales at Cross Keys, but it was Caroline Collie who kicked off the tournament when she played for Scotland against France.

Sarah McKenna
(OA Saints & England A)

Maggie Alphonsi
(Saracens & England)

The OA Saints full-back only made her international debut (against Spain) in January, but she is already being hailed as one of the most promising additions to the Scottish squad - her performances attracting the attention of rugby writers - including this report in last week's Scotsman.

In addition Old Albanians fly-half, 21 year old Sarah McKenna (left), has been selected for England A squad. 

Sarah began her rugby with Harpenden minis, before moving on to Scorpions and then Fullerians Girls'. She also played for the East Region and Hertfordshire's girls teams.

2010-11 Leagues for Herts Womens Clubs

RFUW Premiership (1st Tier):

* OA Saints
* Saracens

RFUW Championship South 1 (2nd Tier):

* Saracens II

RFUW Challenge South East (North) 2 (5th Tier):

* Hertford
* Hitchin
* OA Saints II
* Tabard

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.

Saracens to support girls' and women's rugby

Amanda met Hannah Pirnie (hannahpirnie@saracens.net) from Saracens on Tuesday, and discussed how Saracens might be able to help get the girls they coach in their various programmes into clubs. A number of positive things came out of the meeting, several of which individual clubs, coaches, or parental helpers may wish to chase up.

• Saracens run tag sessions for years 5/6 at schools and would like to strengthen club/school links to provide exits for the children. If you have leaflets about what your club offers for girls, send them to Rigby Hse, The Parade, High St, Watford, WD17 1EA, and the community coaches will give them out at the schools near to your clubs.
• Next summer Saracens are looking at a monthly tag league for girls, moving it around to the clubs who are active with girls, so those who did tag in yers 5/6 at schoolcan play tag at the clubs over the summer, ready to join the U12s projects in September. Also maybe a mixed adult/girls tag competitions (along the lines of Ladies link, but more for mums and daughters)Any club interested should contact Hannah direct and discuss.
• Coaches of the women and girls sections from clubs who are in Partnership with Saracens(all except Tring) are reminded that they to can attend the FREE Saracens "coach the coaches" sessions.
• Saracens work with Peter Engledow on a Sports Leaders Programme - if you have any 16-19 players interested they can find out about it thrrough the PDM or directly from Hannah.
• There is a mixed Touch Rugby FE programme as well, so please tell your players who attend an FE college and get them to encourage their friends to go.
• For parents and new volunteers Saracens run a course on how to teach rugby to a class of 30! And a course on how to prepare/coach a tag team and prepare the children for a festival - again contact Hannah.
• Saracens will try and ensure if your club is hosting a tag festival that a club member is there.
• The possibility of a girls matches and forming tunnels before Saracens games was also discussed.

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

Herts at Saracens

Many thanks to everyone who gave up part of their half term to come down to Hatfield today.

Hope you got something out of it, and our apologies for the less than effective organisation by our hosts. I suspect Amanda will be having words with a few people...

Still some good pictures came out of it - and I gather that everyone who went down enjoyed the experience. And the new kit looks fantastic - as you can see!

Its gets its first "outing" on 12th November - and at this very moment I'm sure Amanda is drawing up a bid for similar kit for the U14s.

County photo shoot with Saracens in Hatfield tomorrow

A few final notes about the Saracens photo shoot tomorrow...

• Arrive by 11.30
• Once changed, gather in the Sports Bar area
• Photo should be c 12.00
• Herts county kit has arrived for U17s in the county squad
• All other girls should come in club shirts
• Smile for the camera...

Saracens send half-term invitation to Herts Girls

Saracens have invited any junior girl rugby players in the county to come to their training camp at the University of Hertfordshire Sports Village on Tuesday 24th October.

The main aim will be to produce publicity photographs promoting girls' rugby in Hertfordshire. The U17 County Squad will be officially presented with their new playing kit, but the aim is also to include in the pictures as many girls from as many clubs in the county as possible, all wearing their club kit.

As its a Saracens training day it is intended that as many as possible of the Saracens squad will be available for inclusion in the pictures, as well as for autographs etc. - though obviously this will be dependent on their training schedules. For example, if they have lost the previous Sunday things may be a bit more intense and their availability a little more curtailed than we might like! And equally how much of their training we will be able to see may well depend on what sort of mood the coaching staff are in!

However, come what may the photography session will start at 12 noon, so anyone coming will need to be changed into their kit and ready by that time.

Photographs will appear in future Herts publicity campaigns, including websites, posters, etc. as well as (hopefully) rugby magazines such as the RFU's Touchline, and Saracens' match programme for the Girls Day.

Second Saracens "Girls Rugby Day" planned

Following the county's successful promotional day at Saracens last season, we are going being invited back again!

The most likely date looks like being the 14th January for the game between Saracens and French club Narbonne in the European Challenge Shield.

Rugby playing girls in the county will all be invited onto the field to form a "guard of honour" before the game. There will also be a write-up in the match programme and loudspeaker anouncements celebrating the girls game, and encouraging new players to give the game a try.

Parents will also be eligible for reduced price tickets. More information will appear shortly.