Inaugural Girls’ Rugby Competition to take off in Western Australia

3/19/2015


RugbyWA, in conjunction with the Australian Rugby Union, is set to host the very first girls’ Rugby competition in Western Australia for players (13-18 years of age).

The program is designed to boost female Rugby participation in the West, with Britannia Reserve, Leederville hosting an Under 14, Under 16 and Under 18s Sevens competition from Saturday 2 May this year.

The tournament forms part of a 10-week development season, which will include five weeks of VIVA7s, training from RugbyWA staff, a five-week tackle competition, entry into the Road2Rio Holiday Tournament, a VIVA7s singlet and a Bankwest Junior Western Force Membership.

Players within the VIVA7s program will also have the opportunity to play at half-time during the Western Force Super Rugby match against the NSW Waratahs on Saturday 9 May at nib Stadium, Perth.

Nicole Serafini, Sevens - Women’s and Competition Coordinator at RugbyWA is delighted the program is going ahead and believes it presents a ticket for young girls to get involved in Rugby.

“It’s great to see Australian Rugby Union and RugbyWA get behind this program. I think it will go a long way to attract females to the game at a grassroots level in Western Australia,” Nicole said.

“The 10-week program will provide young female players with a chance to connect with a local Rugby club and engage with the Western Force from a fan perspective.”

Nicole is also looking forward to checking out the skills the girls in the program have to offer.

“In conjunction with our clubs, we identified a gap in the women’s Rugby pathway from Under 14 to Under 18s level, and this program is a fantastic opportunity to keep these players involved in our game,” she said.

“We currently have girls playing through to Under 12s and this allows us to continue their development in our sport.

“On the back of the success of our Alcohol.Think Again WA Girls side in the recent National Sevens Championships, which saw three players selected in the Australian training squad for the Commonwealth Youth Games, we believe we’re creating a strong and engaging Rugby pathway for our female players in Western Australia.

“This program presents an opportunity to uncover hidden talent in WA and who knows, we might even find the next Olympic Women’s Rugby Sevens star!”

Female players can register individually for this year’s competition in Western Australia and clubs are also invited to enter their own teams.

http://www.rugby.com.au/News/NewsArt...Australia.aspx