There is a distinct lack of girls rugby clubs in the Salford area which means many of the girls have to play with the boys in mixed teams.
Once these girls reach the age of 12 they can no longer play mixed rugby with the clubs they have spent all their time at and they are then left with a choice of joining another club who have an all-girls team or give up on rugby altogether.
A sport like rugby league which does not have the biggest talent pool can not afford to lose girls due to lack of opportunity in their local area.
The Salford Swinton girls rugby club are trying to break that cycle by giving girls an opportunity to train the clubs in their local area and hopefully offer them a chance to represent them as a club.
Martin Silcock is one of the key organisers behind the group and understands the importance of keeping girls involved in the sport.
“We could have lost these girls to altogether which is why we set this up because we need to keep these girls involved in the sport.
“from a club level we invest so much time and then lose them to other clubs because there is no set up for them.”
The group is a collective from three clubs in the Salford area; Folly Lane, Langworthy Reds and Cadishead Rhinos as they all agreed to come together for the betterment of girls rugby in the area. With each club lacking the numbers individual but together can build solid foundations.
“The goal is to get the girls a game potentially against other girls teams or even mixed teams.
“We’re talking about sponsorships for this group of girls which shows how far we have progressed since this idea was brought about.”
Since the group was established in September 2021 the numbers have continued to grow at their bi-weekly sessions which shows the interest in girls rugby league in the area is there and setting them up as a club is the right step to take.
“The ultimate goal is start girls off at under 7 and take them through to open age.
“I think our numbers will continue to grow especially at the back end of the year when the rugby league world cup is on.
I think it would be great for the girls to have a day trip to watch one of the women’s games and see there is a pathway for them.”
If you are interested in joining us then please fill in the form on our profile under website
— Salford Swinton Girls rugby (@SSGirlsRL) October 10, 2021
The club are welcoming new members to come and give it a try with the Sessions taking place bi-weekly on Tuesdays. More information can be found on Twitter @SSGirlsRL or on Facebook under Salford Swinton Girls Rugby.
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