A RUGBY team in Oxfordshire is hoping this year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup can inspire the club’s growing crop of youngsters.
The World Cup will be hosted across eight venues in England, with games taking place between August 22 and September 27.
Witney RFC now has more than 50 girls registered through its Cherubs side, and in September, for the first time, will have a girls’ academy for the Under-18s, acting as a feeder for the ladies’ team Witney Angels.
It means the Cherubs will have four teams – Under-12s, Under-14s, Under-16s and Under-18s.
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Witney Cherubs girls’ lead Kate Nicholls told this newspaper: “All of the teams are now self-sufficient. They all have their own head coaches, they’re doing their own thing, but we still all do social things together. The whole thing is padding out and taking shape.
“We’re now replenishing the girls at the bottom age group because there’s always more girls ready to step up.
“We see it in the girls all the time. When they arrive, they might be nervous, but now they feel like they belong and have a home, and that is exactly what we wanted to achieve. They’re weaving their way into the fabric of the club.”
England start their World Cup campaign against the USA on August 22, and Witney RFC will be hosting an event for the match.
Nicholls said: “Just like with the Lionesses, we want to capitalise on the World Cup. There are some superstars who can capture the imagination of the people.
“There will be new heroes. There’s a place for everyone on the rugby pitch and I hope the girls look at someone and take inspiration from them.”
Cherubs now have three female England Rugby Coaching Award (ERCA) coaches, and Nicholls said: “We’re now developing our coaches. The more people you have doing it, we are ever more professional, and the standard of coaching gets to be really high.
“We’re really proud to have the three female coaches with this ERCA. We’re showing the girls that it doesn’t have to be about playing. They might want to get into coaching.
“Rugby isn’t just about what is happening on the pitch. We want to encourage people who want to be referees, linesladies, or in admin roles.”
The work being done at Witney RFC, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this month, saw the club recognised as a winner at the Honda Volunteer of the Year Awards, in conjunction with the RFU.
Fellow girls’ lead Sarah Morley said: “It really took us by surprise. Kate and I are off to Twickenham for the national final on August 8, and we get a tour round Twickenham.
“Although we’re going, this is a representation of all the coaches involved.”
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