Sport

Rugby and Girlguiding join forces to provide new opportunities

Published

7 years ago

February 16, 2018

WELSH Rugby is joining forces with Girlguiding Cymru to offer new opportunities to girls across Wales.

As the UK’s leading charity for girls and young women, Girlguiding conduct an annual Girls’ Attitudes Survey, collecting the views of girls and young women aged 7 to 21 across the UK on a wide range of issues.

The latest survey revealed that girls and young women are encountering gender stereotypes in all areas of their lives – from their peers to the media, causing them to change their behaviour because of the pressure they feel to be or act a certain way. 55% of girls ages 7-21 say gender stereotypes affect their ability to say what they think.

When asked what sports girls aged 11 to 21 want to do at school, 22% want to play rugby. Through the newly found partnership with Girlguiding Cymru, the WRU is looking forward to introducing rugby to girls who do not have the chance to participate through school and show them that girls can play rugby regardless of their gender.

Members of all sections of Girlguiding Cymru (starting with Rainbows) will now be able to work towards a Welsh Rugby badge, guide leaders have been put through a WRU coaching qualification in order to start introducing rugby games within their girlguiding units, and there will be opportunities to link up with girls-only summer clusters around Wales.

Wales Women international and rugby sevens Olympian Jasmine Joyce, a former guide herself, is an ambassador for the scheme. She said: “When I was in the guides, the activities tended to mainly involve arts and crafts and problem solving so I think this is a brilliant addition for girlguiding. You make some of your best friends in rugby, and it’s great that we’re working with the clusters to provide new opportunities for guides to get involved in our game.”

Anne Mary Simpson is a 16 year old Young Sports Leader for Gwent Girlguiding. She said: “I’m keen to join a rugby club myself after getting a taste for it on the training day. It’s fun and so energetic, I think it’s something the girls will really enjoy, especially at their age.”

Penny Christie From Second Narberth Browies added: “I think it’s brilliant. We can teach the girls how to work as a team. It’s good for their health and it’s so much fun, our girls will really love it, they are up for anything and this opportunity will be amazing.”

Gabriella Doyle, Sports Development Officer for Girlguiding Cymru said: “After receiving a Calls4Action grant from Sport Wales, we have been able to provide new opportunities for thousands of our members and a ‘Give it a go’ attitude with regards to getting more young women and children engaged in sport and physical literacy.

“Rugby is such a momentous occasion in Wales, the women’s team have done so well so it’s great that our members can be part of this too. We know that our members are very excited about this partnership with Welsh Rugby Union and it could help change the perceptions for many young girls across Wales.”

The WRU believes there is a place for everyone in rugby and is keen to work with Girlguiding to provide new opportunities and make connections with the girls-only clusters around Wales.

Katy Evans, WRU Game Changer for Women and Girls said: “The collaboration with Girlguiding will help both organisations in our aims to provide more opportunities for girls and young women, in terms of playing, but also coaching or volunteering. Hopefully we can help create some new role models for the guides and encourage more women and girls into our game.”

Related Topics:Girguiding Girls Joyce Rugby

Up Next

Ten man Swifts defeat table toppers

Don't Miss

County Cricket fixtures released

Sport

Letterston marksman wins junior athlete award

Published

1 day ago

January 21, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A TALENTED young athlete from Letterston has been honoured at the British Shooting Awards 2024.

Seren Thorne was shortlisted for the prestigious awards and attended the gala event held at the Imperial War Museum in Manchester. To the delight of her family and supporters, Seren was named the winner of the Rifle Pathway / Junior Athlete of the Year award.

This accolade highlights Seren’s exceptional skill and dedication to the sport, marking her as one of the rising stars in British shooting.

Her mother, Sian Thorne, expressed immense pride in Seren’s achievement, sharing photos of the memorable evening.

The British Shooting Awards 2024 celebrated excellence in the sport, with a full list of winners available on their official website.

PHOTO CAPTION: Champion marksman: Seren Thorne receiving the Rifle Pathway / Junior Athlete of the Year award (Pic: Supplied).

Sport

Previewing the 2025 Super Bowl

Published

2 days ago

January 20, 2025

Staff Writer

Each year millions of people across the world gather to watch one of the biggest sporting events of the year – the Super Bowl. Last year, 3.4 million people in the UK watched the Super Bowl, up 1.1 million from the previous year. Considering the growth in popularity of American football in the UK, we anticipate the viewership will be even higher for 2025.

The 2025 Super Bowl is scheduled to take place on 9 February 2025 at Caesars Superdrome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

NFL teams

12 teams began competing for a spot in the 2025 Super Bowl when the playoffs began on January 11. At this point, four teams were eliminated. This now leaves eight teams to compete in the Divisional playoffs. Four of these will make it to the Conference Championships before contesting for a spot at this year’s Super Bowl.

The eight teams left with a shot at competing in the 2025 Super Bowl are:

Philadelphia Eagles
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Detroit Lions
Houston Texans
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Rams
Washington Commanders

Last year, the Kansas City Chiefs took the title for the second year in a row. However, the latest Super Bowl odds puts the Detroit Lions as the favourites to win this year’s Super Bowl, following a series of impressive performances in the regular season.

The national anthem and halftime show

Before the game commences, a special guest performs the national anthem. Last year, Reba McEntire offered a moving performance of The Star-Spangled Banner, and this year the task falls to jazz singer Jon Batiste.

It’s not just the football match that people look forward to. Super Bowl halftime shows are a spectacle in themselves and many look forward to the performance as much as the game itself. This year, 17-time grammy winner Kendrick Lamar is headlining the halftime show. Lamar previously headlined the Super Bowl in 2022.

How can I watch the Super Bowl in the UK?

The Super Bowl is being broadcast to fans free on ITV, including live online via ITVX on your laptop, mobile, or tablet.

Sky Sports is also broadcasting the event which you can watch online via Sky Go, NOW TV, or using the Sky Sports mobile app. You could also head to your local pub as plenty of pubs in Pembrokeshire will be showing the big game.

Will you be tuning in?

With a surge in popularity for American Football, it’s anticipated that more people from the UK than ever before will be turning their TVs on for the big event this year. Will you be watching this year’s Super Bowl?

Sport

Division Four West rugby: Thrills and tight contests on a chilly Saturday

Published

3 days ago

January 19, 2025

Herald Sport

Exciting matches, hard-fought battles, and standout performances define the weekend’s action.

Dreigiau Emlyn Edge Harlequins in Close Contest
Dreigiau Emlyn 21 – Pembroke Dock Harlequins 15
Dreigiau Emlyn secured a narrow victory over Pembroke Dock Harlequins, strengthening their position in the top half of the table. Gethin Davies scored two crucial tries, while Deiniol Rees added three penalties and a conversion to steer the hosts to victory. The Harlequins kept the game competitive with tries from Craig Barnett and Tom Donovan, with Ben Hathaway converting one and kicking a penalty. However, Emlyn’s composed performance ensured they held on for the win.

Teirw Crymych Outgun Llangwm in High-Scorer
Llangwm 22 – Teirw Crymych 33
Teirw Crymych powered to a 33-22 victory over bottom-placed Llangwm, bolstering their challenge for the league’s top spots. Sion Williams and Morgan Jones led the visitors’ try-scoring efforts, with additional tries from Sion Owen and Nick Bevan. Adam Phillips was reliable from the tee, adding four conversions. Llangwm fought back with tries from Aidan Rees and Ryan Banner, while Harry Makepeace contributed two conversions and a penalty. Despite their spirited display, the hosts couldn’t match Crymych’s attacking prowess.

St Davids Win Key Clash Against Llanybydder
Llanybydder 17 – St Davids 29
St Davids took a significant step away from the relegation zone with a vital 29-17 win over Llanybydder. Harvey Godkin, Nathan Foster, Zac Morgan, and Morgan Griffiths all crossed the whitewash for the visitors, with Bob Froy converting three and adding a penalty to secure a bonus-point victory. Llanybydder’s John Evans delivered an impressive hat-trick of tries, with one conversion by Matthew Rowlands, but St Davids’ all-round performance proved too much for the home side.

Division Four West continues to deliver thrilling rugby as teams battle for position in a tightly contested league.