Image
Wimbledon RFC's girls youth section has dedicated teams at Under 12, Under 14, Under 16 and Under 18 in line with England Rugby's dual age bands. We regularly see lots of joiners, especially at Under 12s and Under 14s, as girls discover that rugby is a brilliant opportunity for fun, fitness and friendship.
Rugby is a fast-growing sport for girls and Wimbledon RFC is proud to have been one of the pioneers of girls rugby having established the girls youth section over 10 years ago. Wimbledon RFC Girls have represented England Rugby at U18 (most recently Annabel Meta) and Surrey in the RFU U15 and U18 National Girls Cups. We regularly have players selected for Surrey squads and recommended for the RFU centre of excellence stream, and several players have won rugby scholarships, most recently to Henley College’s girls’ rugby programme. We also had a record number of girls selected for the UR7s academy. With the Women's Rugby World Cup this Autumn we expect to see a big influx in player interest; come and join us!
How do I join?
Come along to a taster session, or simply drop an email to girls@wmrfc.co.uk and we’ll arrange a date to come along. We are always looking for new players, whether experienced or completely new to the game. A full list of our contacts can be found here.
We just want enthusiasm and commitment and we’ll help you with the rest.
You can also find out more about us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
The coaching team
Image
Each age group has its own coaching team, drawn from a mix of female players, including two ex Internationals, parent coaches and other senior coaches from the club, who provide specialist backs, forward and kicking coaching. We pride ourselves on giving our girls the best rugby opportunities and find new steps on their rugby pathway. We have hosted Girls Rugby Club camps, with coaching from England players; helped girls train for UR7s Academy trials, where they had more opportunities to be coached by Olympians.
What you need to bring
- Gum shield for when you play contact - if you’re not sure which one to buy just ask a coach or manager
- Studded football/rugby boots. (Boots are better if it is muddy but trainers can be better at the start or end of the season when the ground is dry.)
- Comfy clothes that can get muddy. Wet weather gear if it looks like rain. Once you know you’re keen to join then you can buy kit from the club’s official supplier, Akuma
- Water to drink
Which age group is right for me?
Image
Reception (U5) to Year 6 (U11)
Can join the mixed minis at any point. When you get to Year 6 (U11) you can choose to switch to the all-girls U12 team, which combines Years 6 and 7.
Rugby is known for being a contact sport and players start to learn contact rugby from U9. The girls can do as little or as much as they are comfortable with until their confidence grows, but we do a lot of touch/tag rugby as part of the training. Any contact that we do will be properly coached and girls must wear a gumshield. Safety is Key!
U12 - school year 7
We have a dedicated group for U12 girls (some U11 girls also play in this group by choice). This girls-only group is increasingly popular and has been very successful in the matches they have been playing.
U14 - school years 8 & 9
Lots of girls only start rugby at secondary school but they learn very quickly. There are Surrey competitions from U14 as well as lots of friendly matches to play.
U16 - school years 10 & 11
This is when you start playing 15-a-side rugby with all the different positions. There is a National competition and also Surrey competitions to take part in.
U18 - school years 12 & 13
Similar rules and competitions to U16s, but you can have contested lineouts now.
Uni and beyond!
The top year of the girls’ section (year 13) can begin to train with the Wimbledon Women’s team. More and more girls are picking up rugby at university and then coming home hooked, so we are keen to welcome them to Wimbledon women, which celebrated its 30th year in 2020 (celebrations postponed to 2021!).
Next steps
To find out more, please contact the team managers and/or head coaches. Contact details are here.
Keep in touch with news from your age group with Spond
We organise comms via Spond. Join your age group(s) with the following links:
U12 girls: https://group.spond.com/WYNEU
U14 girls: https://group.spond.com/QRXVJ
U16 girls: https://group.spond.com/SKKJB
U18 girls: https://group.spond.com/RZKQB