Did you know……

- Over 15,000 women and girls are playing rugby regularly in England

- England won the Six Nations Grandslam in 2006 and 2007

- England are ranked number two in the world

- England's Maggie Alphonsi is the 2006 IRB Women's Rugby Personality of the Year

 So what about you?

- Ready to tackle a new sport? Want to get fit? Bored with the gym?

- Played at University and need to find a club?

- Want to meet new people and play rugby for fun?

- Played mini rugby and can''t find a Girls team?

- Want to play a sport at County level?

If you answered ''YES!" to any of the above, read on for more information and how to find your nearest club.

The Rugby Football Union for Women (RFUW) is an Associate of the RFU, and is responsible for the delivery of the Women and Girls game in England.

Under 12 Girls

Under 15 and Under 18 Girls

U15s Girls rugby is for players aged 12, 13 and 14 on 1^st September. There are currently 104 U15 Girls teams in England.

U18s Girls rugby is for players aged 15, 16 and 17 on 1^st September. There are currently 97 Under 18 Girls teams in England.

Where there are not enough girls at one club to make up a team, many areas now have Club Clusters, where clubs join up for matches. This makes sure that girls have the opportunity to play regular competitive matches. Almost all Counties have Girls teams and have trials that are open to anyone.

County players are nominated to trial for the RFUW Regional Programme. Talented players are identified and U15s are invited into their local School of Rugby, whilst U18s are invited into the Talent Development Group. Successful players will have the opportunity to play for England Under 20s. 

One player who can speak from experience is Fran Matthews (pictured right). Fran was playing for her club and Surrey

County only two seasons ago; "I was selected to play for the South East Region - it’s been all go since then!” Fran was spotted as a talented player when playing in the Regional Programme, and was subsequently invited to an Elite summer camp at Loughborough University. Fran is now at University, playing Premiership rugby and striving for further success with England.

For further details on the rules and regulations for age groups please click here

Senior Women

There are 231 Senior and University Teams affiliated to the RFUW, with 8,500 women playing regularly.

Most Counties now run Senior Women’s teams, as well as the RFUW offering the Regional Programme, which is part of the player pathway. That means that if you play for your Region, you could be on your way to playing for

England! The RFUW invites Regional players to take part in High Performance Academies in the Summer, which could lead to a place in the Super Fours competition, which is how the England squad is selected.

One player who has worked her way through the player pathway is Colette McCarthy. Colette says "I didn’t think I was good enough to play Regional rugby, but I was wrong! It was through the Regional Programme that it was suggested I had the ability to play at a higher level – the idea was daunting at first, but playing amongst people of a high calibre and experience is inspiring”. Colette progressed from County through to the Super Four England trials within one season.

It’s not all about being the best and playing for England.

Rugby is a sociable game, and more women are playing the game because rugby clubs have welcoming, family atmospheres, and rugby is a great way to get fit and stay fit. Many clubs go on tours to play in Sevens tournaments, so it’s also a great excuse to do some travelling!

For information about where to find your nearest club, enter your postcode on RugbyFirst, or contact your Women’s Rugby Development Manager (WRDM).

For more information about Women and Girls Rugby, click here.