Saturday 13-10-2018 - 09:00

Bristol SU has a number of societies which have been accredited with gold status on the Balloon Accreditation Scheme. We caught up with Women's Rugby to find out more about their student group.

What do Women's Rugby do?

Women’s Rugby is an inclusive club that provides fun, engaging and competitive opportunities for women of any sporting ability to play the game we all love. Whether you have never played rugby before and are just looking for a new way to socialise and make friends, (while also keeping fit and showing off what a strong, independent woman you are); or you have had a passion for running forward and throwing backward since you took your very first steps: there is a place for you at UBWRFC. All are welcome to our regular training sessions held by professional coaches 

Where do we do it?

Monday evening training takes place at Coombe Dingle, while members meet bright and early at the Sports Hall at SEH for Friday mornings. The OWL and the gym also get great use out of our multiple Strength and Conditioning sessions. Whichever team you play for, you will get the opportunity to go to matches all around the country (for one game we even flew to Scotland for the day), which sometimes includes staying overnight with girls who very quickly become your best friends. Once a year we also participate in an international sevens tournament in Lyon, France: a once in a lifetime opportunity to be part of some unusual but undoubtedly entertaining displays of French dancing, alongside 2 days of fast and furious 7s matches aginst teams from around Europe. 

What have we achieved and how have we met the standards of the gold award?

This year our first team has retained their place in the Southern Premiership, winning the BUCS Vase. Our second team have done amazingly well, coming second in their league and attaining promotion. These achievements have made us third in the country for women’s rugby. 

However, our club is not all about pushing those top players, it is about showing our newly recruited members their potential, and helping them to achieve that. We welcomed a large number of new players last year, during the first few weeks and throughout the year with ongoing free taster sessions. This enabled us to establish a third club team, and say nothing for the great impact it had on our regular socials: let our 100% student satisfaction continue!

With now, continued growth within the club, we have been working towards increasing our reach to the wider community. We have established a partnership with the charity Wooden Spoon, who support and empower disabled and disadvantaged young people through the power of rugby, and this year we are sure there will be many exciting things to look forward to through our new collaboration. 

Anything different planned for next year?

Through collaboration with Wooden Spoon, we are planning some exciting charity events including: a buns and bands BBQ launch afternoon, sponsored wheelchair rugby game, and alumni auction dinner. 

Regarding members and playing, we are bringing in a new coach to support our recently established third team in developing their skills, while the second and first teams focus on BUCS. Additionally, we now have better access to resources such as sports psychology, nutritional advice, as well as strength and conditioning; to help our members realise their potential. 

Finally, we are committed to diversifying the club by showing students around the university that rugby is a game for everyone. This aim will manifest as more collaboration with other societies, more interaction with local clubs and external organisations, and more innovative ways to train and play the beautiful game of rugby that can get everybody involved.

 

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More Information:

Find out more about Societies and Clubs

Find out more about the Balloon Accreditation Scheme