Try and Stop Us! Girls' Rugby Introduced at the Junior School

Back in 2017 World Rugby launched its ‘Try and Stop Us’ campaign to increase female participation in the game. Spring forward to present day and women’s rugby is one of the fastest growing sports in the country, with the Red Roses topping the current Six Nations table and the launch of the professional Tyrrells Premier 15s, the top tier of the women's English RFU league system.

In addition to the elite game encouraging grassroots take up, much of the success of increasing female participation has been the appeal of breaking down a traditionally male preserve, as well as the undoubted physical, mental and social benefits of playing rugby. Keen to offer girls at KES Junior School similar opportunities a new, immediately popular, Girls’ Rugby Club launched this term for Year 5 & 6, with the lunchtime training seeing ‘Girls walking back into school covered in mud and grinning from ear to ear,’ according to Miss Young, Head of Girls' Games (and a former Welsh International herself.)

Looking ahead to the Autumn, the Junior School plans to extend its commitment to mixed gender sporting opportunities by launching a new Year 3 Sports programme that will see boys and girls similarly introduced to tag rugby, hockey, netball, football, cricket and athletics. 

To support training opportunities, an Autumn mixed gender tag rugby festival is planned with Kingswood School, with a mixed gender netball festival to follow in the Spring.