Women's Rugby Alive and Kicking in Staffordshire

Women’s rugby is truly alive and kicking in Staffordshire following support from the RFU, RFUW, Staffordshire Rugby Union Ltd, Sport Across Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent County Sport Partnership, Local Authorities, School Sport Partnerships and Rugby Clubs. This together with successful grant applications being made to the Sport England Community Investment Fund, Local Network Fund and Awards for All will enable women’s rugby to be further developed in Staffordshire over the next 2 years

All funding has been secured by the Staffordshire Rugby Union Ltd Development Partnership and was led by Bill Leason, Chair of the Group. Bill said “There has been some good work achieved in girls' rugby over the last 5 years through Active Sports and we wanted to build on this and particularly develop the senior women’s game”. He added, “We are delighted that all grant applications have been successful and we can now start to deliver the programme”.

Keeley Fathers, will be the Women’s Community Rugby Coach and Rachel Scott will be the Women’s Rugby Development Administrator. They will be hosted by the RFU and will work part time hours over the next 2 years. Tom Bartram, RFU Staffordshire Rugby Development Officer, said “Rachel and Keeley will work as a team to build a women’s rugby structure which can then be sustained by the volunteers thereafter”.

Key areas of work over the next 2 years will be to ensure that there are a minimum of 8 rugby clubs across the County with women’s sections, creating a sustainable senior and youth county programme and general coach and player development work.

For more information contact Rachel Scott, Women’s Rugby Development Administrator on 07970 679357.

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