Farrer & Co Women in Sport - Report - Page 12
Rugby: seven pillars
for growth
There is great support within the RFU which puts a
huge emphasis on the importance of the women’s
game – our people want to see it grow at all levels.
Words by Nicky Ponsford & Clare Cooper
Women’s and girls’ grassroots rugby
has experienced rapid growth:
• Today, circa 37,000 women and girls
are registered to play rugby in clubs
(2017: 25,000 and 2012: 13,000)
• Among the teenage community, the
CBRE All Schools programme has
also helped boost rugby’s appeal
and there are now over 60,000
girls involved in rugby
• 18,000 women have attended over
500 Warrior Camps across England
during the last two years
• There has been a significant increase
in the number of female coaches
completing the England Rugby
Coaching Award, up 185% to 274
in 2019 (2017: 96)
• The number of women completing
the England Rugby Referee Award
is up 214% to 88 (2017: 28)
1
2
Playing
Opportunities
Playing
Pool
3
People
The RFU is aiming to have 50,000
registered female players by 2021. That
would mean participation had doubled
since 2017. The RFU is striving to achieve
this whilst we see many team sports
struggling to recruit and retain people.
Among the causes of the downward
participation trend in other team sports
are the ways that people lead their lives
now, including different pressures with
work and family. This means that sport
comes lower down the list.
The 2017 Women and Girls action
plan has seven “pillars”. First is playing
opportunities – this is not just at the
top end of the game. We want to
create the right environment for new
and developing players to come in and
enjoy the game. Second, playing pool
4
Player
Pathway
Clare Cooper
Rugby Growth Manager,
Rugby Football Union
• The number of women involved in the
Quilter Kids First Refereeing Children
increased by 118% to 254 (2017: 116)
5
Perceptions
6
Partnerships
Nicky Ponsford
Head of Women’s Performance,
Rugby Football Union
12
7
Places
relates to reaching different markets.
It means spreading rugby into schools,
colleges and universities, and any new
markets through which we can reach
those ladies who may never have
considered rugby before as an option.
The third, people, is absolutely core.
With this work we are trying to increase
the number of female match officials,
coaches and team managers.
We’re also working to identify, train
and deploy volunteers who will be the
influencers and leaders of the future.
Fourth is player pathway, meaning
the route players can follow from
club through to country. This is about
ensuring that players can access player
development opportunities from their
club, school, county or Centre of
Excellence linked to a Tyrrell’s
Premier 15 club.
The fifth, perceptions, and sixth,
partnerships, have a focus on
increasing visibility. That means looking
at our reach and the channels we are
using to inform people that female
rugby exists, that it is available, and
it is accessible. This is as important at
the grassroots end of the game as it is at
the elite performance end. Finally, there
is places. This is about ensuring there
is appropriate, warm and welcoming
clubhouse space, and changing
provision for females. They must feel
that they have been thought about and
cared for, and are welcome and part
of the whole club.
Investment in, and promotion of,
the senior England women through the
Red Roses brand, and also the Tyrrell’s
Premier 15s (the top-flight women’s
rugby competition in England),
underlines the importance of the
women’s game to the RFU.
We also of course look at football,
and meet several times a year with
our counterparts in football and other
sports. We each pass on what we are
doing with the Red Roses and the
Lionesses respectively, and consider
the learning points.
Women in Sport – Levelling the playing field
