Ayr Rugby Club has been delighted with the interest shown since they launched their girl's under 12 team last year. Girl's rugby has seen a rise in popularity across the board and Ayr has always been a club that likes to be ahead of the game, so the idea to give the girls their own team has gone down really well.
Neil McNae, dad of one of the players, occasional coach, and strip sponsor from John McNae Ltd, said: "It started with seven or eight girls initially and a couple of months later, we had 16. They all turn up regularly for training and we have managed to get a couple of games organised, as there are more girl's teams popping up across Scotland."
Ayr Rugby Club has traditionally been supported strongly by the agricultural sector in Ayrshire, and this is no different as both the boys and girls teams have many farming families in the mix.
Ian continues: "It's a terrific movement, it helps their development, keeps them motivated and the girls get on so well, it's been brilliant."
The club have other girl's age groups that kids can get involved in, and they are about to start up a girl's under 14s, and under 16s as well, and they encourage anyone interested to get in touch and come along.
Connie Griffiths, Ayr’s Women’s and Girls Development Officer, matched Neil’s ambition: “The future is bright. I want to see these girls progress through the age-grades to one day be representing the senior women’s squad.”
Away from the pitch Connie also sees how the U12s team is developing as individuals: “It’s an age where the girls are going from primary to secondary, so they might be splitting up from close friends. This team allows them to have a consistent group of girls they see weekly and can chat with and learn from.”
The Ayr Rugby ladies team are on hand to give help and coaching to keep the girl's right. At the moment they have members from Ardrossan, West Kilbride, Cumnock, Maybole, and Girvan, so it is not restricted to just Ayr locals.
The team is always looking for new members of any age, if your child is interested, there is training every Monday night at Ayr Rugby Club, Millbrae, Alloway, Ayr. Tel. 01292 441944, or email
info@ayrrugbyclub.co.uk
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