Starting point
At the beginning of the season, women's rugby at Sandal RUFC seemed like a distant memory. With player numbers at an all-time low and a lack of coaching staff something had to be done. The team had been devastated by COVID and as player numbers have dwindled due to university and other commitments, players have moved to other clubs in order to continue playing.
The Plan
In contrast to the women's team, the girls age grade rugby is flying high, with large numbers at Sandal across all of the age grades. With this in mind, we are looking to build a team for the future, allowing those coming up through age grade rugby to continue their rugby journey. Withdrawing from the league in which the ladies' team played may seem like a defeatist thing to do, but it was a vital decision. It has allowed us to remove the pressure of match day and the commitment to playing full contact rugby and has allowed us to become a development team, with players able to develop at their own pace.

Hopefully by the beginning of next season, the combination of existing players and those coming up from age grade rugby will mean that Sandal will once again have a ladies team able to compete in the league.
Gary Haywood (Head of Women & Girls Rugby) - “It is essential that Sandal has a women's team so that we can retain players from our Age grade teams”
To express what rugby means to the ladies that train, we thought it would be best for you to hear it in their own words.
A word from the captain (Naomi Gelder)
“I first got into rugby at 16 when my younger brother started playing for Sandal, I am a physical and outgoing person, and I thought that this sport is for me. Now at 21 I am very privileged to be announced as Captain by my teammates and look forward to fulfilling that role and leading these Ladies to

Women and girls represent the single biggest opportunity for growth at Sandal over the next decade’
For me Rugby is the best workout - forget Legs, Bums and Tums at the gym! Rugby is a high intensity, fun, full body workout that I enjoy more than any gym session and I get to mix things up with my team. More often than not I do end up barking at them as it seems to provoke, shall I say, a positive response!
If any ladies are reading this, then you are already invested in rugby to a certain degree. I say take the leap, come down and get involved. We don’t make anyone do anything they are not comfortable with, lets breakdown those stereotypes and show everyone what it means to be a Sandal Warrior”
The Rebuild
Women’s rugby is one of the world’s fastest growing sports. Sports England figures from November 2022 highlight that the number of women playing rugby has grown from 25,000 to 40,000 over the last five years. As part of its ‘Every Rose’ strategy, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) aims for this number to increase to 100,000 by 2027.
The Rugby Football league (RFL) also has ambitious plans, citing a 214% growth in the number of women’s and girls’ teams
Getting people interested in the game can be difficult but the one thing that Sandal RUFC has in abundance is a sense of community. It is from this community that the current squad was raised, mothers, daughters, players, and friends of the club answered the call to action.
There are some exciting developments on the horizon in women’s rugby at Sandal. We are currently working on a philosophy of “Bring back the fun, bring back the players” our training sessions are modeled on core rugby skills, fitness, and team spirit.

Year to date
We started the season with no players. We withdrew from the league and essentially didn’t have a team. But now we currently have a squad of 14 who are committed to returning Sandal Warriors to the league in which they should be playing.

The team is made up of a cross-section of ages, abilities and body types and as with all rugby teams there is a place for anyone on the field. We have a couple of members of the team who have previously played competitively in the league and they bring invaluable experience for those in the team who are new to the sport. Through coaching, the team have developed from “lets just turn up and have some fun” to learning new ball skills, body positioning and some of the rules. Our sessions are based around fun and the lack of judgement, allowing everyone to learn at their own pace while having fun. That is the most important thing, and one not always associated with rugby – fun. Most of the time the team are learning skills and rules without even realising it. A few sessions on the club’s scrum machine have proven to be a hit and the team are starting to understand what it takes to be in a scrum. With a few more sessions and a bit more confidence, we may even given the men’s teams a bit of competition!
Future aspirations
The future of the team is looking positive. With commitment from a head coach and the backing of the club, we are starting to feel like it isn’t just a dream or that we are keeping the boots warm for the younger girls to take over when they turn 18.
We are hopeful that by the start of the season we will have some more women with us who want to give it a go, have a laugh and just have some time to themselves. The team is starting to gel, we care about each other and want to progress. For some of the team it is an hour of the week where they are able to be themselves, not “mum” or “wife”, not having to think about the pressures of work or the dreaded housework. A whole golden hour to be themselves and do something for themselves. A number of the team have commented on how they feel better for the exercise, feel less stressed and actually don’t feel intimidated about doing more exercise. There aren’t may sports that can do that – but rugby is definitely one of them.
We are looking for ladies to come down and give it a go. Join the team – there is no time like the present. Without the commitment of games, the team is learning skills, improving fitness levels, and learning the art of the tackle. There is no pressure to join in if it is outside comfort levels but we know that everyone will get there in the end. The current team members are proof of that. So, come down to training. Even if the first session is just to watch. What have you got to loose?

Believe us, you will have a lot more to gain. You just don’t know it yet! Training is Wednesday evenings, from 7 to 8 pm on the first team pitch and is followed by a pint in the bar for those that can stay. Why should men have all the fun?!