Female Rugby in Ulster
School and Club
History
• Female rugby is still in its infancy
• School’s Cup is only in its 9th year, with only 15 teams in the first event
• Girls youth rugby in clubs is only in existence approx. 6 years
Barriers
• Fear of the unknown
• No opportunity to try Rugby until the girls have already played other
sports or have been lost to sport altogether.
• Schools only offering traditional sports
• Parents preconceived ideas of contact sport
• Stereotypes of ‘female rugby’
• Getting time to fit another thing into timetables or girls personal time
How have we over come these?
• Fear of the unknown – Offered taster sessions and 6 week blocks of
coaching
• Lost to sports or already involved in others - Focused on the ‘lost girls’
who ‘don’t fit’ in other sports and shown them that rugby has a
position for everyone.
Have provided sessions
which do not clash with
other training times.
• Traditional Sports – Offering rugby as an additional sport not as a
replacement for hockey, netball etc
• Parents preconcieved ideas – Have open sessions inviting parents
along to see what its really about.
• Stereotypes – More media presence is changing the ideas people
have of female rugby.
• Facebook profiles
• Ulster Rugby Website - Female section
Where are we now?
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•
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Tag – 60+ schools entered into 2015 School’s Cup
Contact – 15 schools training and playing contact rugby
18 newly established female club sections
27 teachers attended ‘Lep’ course, 16 females qualified at Stage 2
Growing demand means we need more teachers to up skill
• First year of Female professional Irish rugby contracts – 2 Ulster players
contracted
• Player pathways now for girls from mini to professional
• Ulster Girls Regional Development Squad were unbeaten in the interpro
series
Success Stories
Methody, Foyle College and Limavady Grammar – 20+ girls who didn’t play sport for the
school now have regular rugby training and have entered the school’s cup and played
matches.
Royal School Armagh and Ballycare High School – First females awarded
Rugby Honours blazer
3 Ulster School girls selected for Irish U19 female 7s Squad
Enniskillen Collegiate committed to girls rugby and have won the School’s
Cup 6 times and have numerous girls playing in club and in representative
squads.
Katherine Dane Won Young Sports Personality in the
Fermanagh Herald Sports Awards 2014
Questions?