Latest news with #MaggieAlphonsi
Telegraph
7 days ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
Building blocks for the future of grassroots rugby
There is plenty to celebrate with the growing numbers in women's rugby and there were lots of positive vibes in the air as 15 Telegraph Media Group Honda Rugby Legacy Fund winners met this summer to enjoy a training session with England World Cup-winning legend Maggie Alphonsi. The day also allowed the clubs to share stories and discuss how they might overcome the challenges they each face. For grassroots teams like Tetbury, Ivybridge and Torquay, the fund is helping to turn outdated, often male-dominated facilities into inclusive, welcoming spaces where girls can thrive not only as players, but as officials, teammates and leaders. Letting in the light In rural Gloucestershire, Tetbury RFC has grown from a single U12 girls' team in 2021 to nearly 70 players across all age groups, with their first U18 team launching next season. But their facilities have not kept pace with their growth. They have been awarded a £3,000 fund to help level that playing field. 'Our unique challenge is space – we only have one pitch to play on,' says coach Mark Benfield. 'We could use floodlights to make use of the space around the pitch. To have some extra lights means we can have more girls coming in, making it a safe environment for them and utilising our space better. Then, hopefully, they can bring their friends and have more fun.' The spirit of the fund was on display during the Honda winners' day. 'We're all in the same boat here,' adds Leon Horton, another coach at Tetbury. 'We're all trying to give the girls huge amounts of energy, give them a lovely outcome and have a fun time doing it, meeting new friends.' Changing up In Devon, Ivybridge RFC has seen its women's section double in size since 2020 and it now supports more than 100 girls in weekly training. With two players recently representing England and Scotland at U18 level, the club has performance as well as participation in its sights – but facilities are again a limiting factor; something that they hope to address with their £1,000 award. 'Our club's challenge is the changing rooms,' says Georgina Robinson, women's player and girls' coach. 'They're very much designed – and the club has been designed – for men's rugby over the years and now we've introduced women and girls. We need to make the changing rooms and the facilities generally more female friendly.' The club is also deeply community focused, offering lifts, boots and support to families in a town where nearly 70 per cent of households live with some form of deprivation. Under-14s coach Nikki Moss adds: 'Being here today is such a privilege and I'm really proud that we got selected from lots of entries as a small club in Devon. The money will really help support our women and girls' rugby at the club in terms of changing some of our facilities and just generally providing equipment for the girls.' Whole new ball game Torquay Athletic RFC, also in Devon, is starting from scratch – and that's precisely what makes its progress so exciting. This is the club's first ever women and girls section, and it has begun with a focus on T1, the new non-contact version of the game. 'It's been amazing,' says Lucy Callaghan, youth and minis coach at the club. 'We are so delighted to bring girls into Torquay and it's been a really exciting journey this year. We were amazed with the numbers and how it's grown, and the support we've got from other clubs.' To avoid pulling players from neighbouring teams, the club made the conscious decision to start with non-contact rugby. 'What's been really interesting is that by doing the non-contact version, it's brought in numbers, and now some of those are saying they'd like to start contact rugby. So, we've built it from the ground up without competing with those other clubs around us for numbers.' Now the club wants to use its £1,000 award to invest in match official development for girls – but their current facilities are far from suitable. 'We want to improve our match officials' facility so that girls are far more likely to want to become a match official because the facilities are going to be great for them instead of the dingey things that we've had in the past,' adds Jackie Coles, women's lead at the club. 'The fund will improve our facilities, especially one of the bathrooms. We're going to be moving the facilities around to the front of the building, with women and girls in mind. It's all about safety and feeling confident in the space. We've got some girls who are 16 saying they want to be referees. I'm not sending them around the back of the clubhouse.' Across all three clubs, the message is clear. Inclusion is not just about who is invited to play – it's about whether the facilities say, 'You belong here.' With the support of the Telegraph Media Group Honda Rugby Legacy Fund, these grassroots sides are making sure the answer is a resounding yes.
Telegraph
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Telegraph
'It's a privilege to be here with these grassroots heroes'
In April the Telegraph Media Group Honda Rugby Legacy Fund was relaunched to give support to 15 more girls' and women's clubs in the UK, and help them to achieve their goals and kickstart their dreams. Having received over 400 entries, it was the job of the panel judges – including Rugby World Cup winner Maggie Alphonsi; Telegraph women's rugby correspondent Fiona Tomas; Rebecca Adamson, head of automobile at Honda UK; and women's rugby commentator Nick Heath – to whittle it down to a final 15. As well as being presented with funds ranging from £3,000 to £1,000 the winners were also invited to a special celebration day at Harlow Rugby Club in Essex. 'I think the thing about meeting other clubs on a day like today is just to share,' says Leon Horton from Tetbury Rugby Club – one of five winners of £3,000. 'We'll be able to get some extra floodlights to create more space for training. We can then get more of the girls from the local community coming in to play rugby.' While the inspiring themes of the competition entries varied, there were many core similarities. Women's and girls' rugby is growing quickly, but it tends to be in clubs that have been historically male dominated. Improving facilities, developing more toilet and shower rooms, expanding training spaces with better lighting and connecting remote clubs are all key elements to growth and success in the grassroots game for women and girls. 'Being part of today has given us such a great chance to see other people that are in the same sort of situation as us, and have those discussions with other clubs to see what they're doing and see what's working for them,' says Beth Hampton from St Ives Rugby Club in Cornwall. Their girls' section only started in September 2024 and it is their geographical location that adds to the challenge. As one of 10 clubs to receive a £1,000 award, theirs will help support volunteers to go into local schools and encourage new girls to join the club. As part of the winners' day, everyone was invited to take part in a special photo shoot before joining Maggie Alphonsi for a fun and light-hearted training session. The great British weather even turned on the summer's first heatwave for the occasion. 'It was really lovely meeting Maggie Alphonsi today and having the opportunity to have a training session on the pitch with her,' says Caroline Meenan of City of Derry RFC. 'We've already got a tour planned to Scotland for next year from meeting some of the girls last night in the hotel. Not many people will have this opportunity so we're very privileged to be here.' Jennifer Scahill from Uddingston Women agrees: 'The opportunity to be with the other winners and train with Maggie Alphonsi has been incredible. It's just super inspiring to hear her stories.' There was also a Q&A panel – hosted by esteemed rugby commentator Heath – featuring Alphonsi and former Wales international Philippa Tuttiett. The topics covered ranged from how the women's elite game has changed through to the challenges of keeping young girls in the game at age grade levels. The passionate views shared would have given rugby's top administrators plenty to think about. 'It's such a privilege to be among these heroes working at grassroots level who do so much,' Tuttiett says. 'The growth of the women's game relies on how well we can look after its development and its roots. To have the chance to meet some of the representatives from these 15 clubs – and these are just 15 out of hundreds out there – has been such a joy. They are all doing so much good work and our communities owe so much to their efforts.' It's a sentiment that Alphonsi supports: 'It's been a real honour to meet the winners of the 2025 Telegraph Media Group Honda Rugby Legacy Fund, all of whom are doing such great work to support women's and girls' rugby across the UK. This is going to be another huge year for our sport and these volunteers are real champions of the game. 'My own rugby story began with an inspirational teacher who introduced me to rugby. It's brilliant to know that even more people will be inspired by these individuals and their ideas and initiatives that will help grow the game. From connecting communities and improving facilities through to improving education around women' s health and nutrition, it's wonderful to learn more about how each club will use the funds they have won. Congratulations to them all and I wish them well in the coming months and years to come.'
Telegraph
18-02-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Unlocking the Power of Dreams with England Rugby partners
Honda, the performance partner of England Rugby, is working with Telegraph Media Group to help grow the game across the UK and help give people the power to dream. In 2022 – a World Cup year for women's rugby – The Telegraph Honda Rugby Legacy Fund was created to help grassroots girls' and women's rugby clubs achieve their ambitions. We reached out to all the clubs in the United Kingdom that ran a women's team, asking them why they felt they deserved funding from our partnership. We were inundated with entries, all with incredibly inspiring stories from women's teams in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, and were delighted to reward 15 clubs with prizes, thanks to the help of our expert panel that included the likes of former England players Maggie Alphonsi and Rachael Burford. This year we are working with Honda again to build a Power of Dreams XV, meeting with 15 people – from grassroots to the elite level – whose love of rugby and ability to dream big has earned them huge rewards in very different ways. From the elite women's and men's games – we spoke to England captains Zoe Aldcroft and Maro Itoje, World Player of the Year Ellie Kildunne, Natasha 'Mo' Hunt and current England internationals Ben Earl and Henry Slade – to those who blazed a trail for the sport and those who are still going above and beyond for their grassroots teams, we have collected stories to inspire. None more so than our piece with England's most-capped players Ben Youngs and Sarah Hunter as well as the legendary Alphonsi herself. Not only did these stories of those who have given their lives to rugby teach us about how they achieved their dreams, but they also showed how they coped with the inevitable unpredictable setbacks the sport can present. After all, what can you expect when you play a sport with an odd-shaped ball. 'There are huge synergies between Honda and England Rugby,' says Rebecca Adamson, head of automobile at Honda UK. 'We truly believe this is a partnership that supports our own philosophy of giving everyone the Power to Dream.' To that end the Honda Rugby Club was established to further support rugby fans and grassroots teams. By signing up, members are entered into monthly prize draws for exclusive rugby-related rewards, such as match tickets and signed merchandise. Participants can also nominate their local rugby union club, giving them a chance to win equipment vouchers and special prizes. Dream big. Win big Honda is Performance Partner to England Rugby. Join the Honda Rugby Club to be in with a chance of winning rugby prizes.* Discover more, at
