05-08-2025
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For grassroots teams like Tetbury, Ivybridge and Torquay, the fund is helping to turn outdated, often male-dominated facilities into inclusive, welcoming spaces where girls can thrive not only as players, but as officials, teammates and leaders.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.
