GIRLS RUGBY HITS THE MILLENNIUM STADIUM

The event will be a culmination of a nationwide quest to introduce girls to the fun of Tag and Touch rugby and to find the top school teams at U14 and U17 age groups.

The competition started back in the January when each entrant school received a bag of balls and tag belts from the WWRU, in response to the Health Challenge Wales call to improve the health of our nation. Each school then benefited from introductory sessions from WRU Development Officers and Community Coaches, before coming together to play other schools in their Unitary Authority to battle it out for a place in the finals day. Each Unitary Authority will be represented in the U14 Tag Rugby and U17 Touch Rugby finals.

Members of both the Women’s and Men’s Wales international squads will be on hand to give the girls some pointers and encourage them to keep playing rugby as part of a fit and healthy lifestyle.

WWRU Manager, Jilly Holroyd, feels that the tournament can have very positive outcomes in the long-term, “Girls are traditionally less likely to take part in sport and we believe that through the introduction of fun sports such as Tag and Touch Rugby in schools, they will experience the pleasure and fitness benefits that can be gained from physical activity.

“It is hoped that many girls taking part in this competition will find rugby to be an exciting and enjoyable challenge and want to pursue their participation further.  With new girls club teams springing up all over Wales the WWRU can turn this thought into a reality. It is a very real possibility that some of the girls playing on Thursday will one day be representing Wales.”