World cup winners and players new to women’s rugby at Worcester Ladies Rugby Club are supporting This Girl Can, a nationwide Sport England campaign that is here to inspire more women to take part in sport and physical activity.

As part of This Girl Can, which celebrates active women who are doing their thing no matter how they do it, the Sports Partnership Herefordshire and Worcestershire visited a training session at Worcester Ladies Rugby Club, chatting with players about rugby and the campaign.

Laura Keates, a life guard and World Cup winner with England Women said: “It’s a really positive image for females in sport, but females in general and hopefully it will get people inspired to get involved in a bit more sport. It’s (rugby) helped me with loads of stuff. The first one’s probably teamwork, confidence as well and also sticking at things.”
With the first team competing in the Women’s Premiership, players balance a commitment to playing at the rugby’s top level with the demands of family life and work commitments. This Girl Can features factors like these, inspiring others and spreading the word about the benefits of getting active.

“Anyone can play rugby, it’s an opportunity. So no matter who you are, what you’re like, you can play rugby. There’s a space for everybody.” Said trainee teacher Steph Clark, describing what she would say to girls considering playing rugby.

A developmental environment at Worcester Ladies Rugby Club continues to have success in integrating new players into the team and the sport. The full squad trains together, mixing the World Cup winners and more experienced players of the first team with the less experienced and more socially-orientated players of the second team.
“Working around a team makes me extraverted and that’s probably the only scenario that I am extraverted in. They also bring you out of your shell. You can be quite shy, feel that you’re not quite good enough and they’ll really help you to bring you out of it,” said Abi Porteus, an In2action children representative who has played for both the first and second Worcester Ladies teams.

Lisa Campbell, a personal trainer and previous Rugby League World Cup winner revealed how This Girl Can is already changing perceptions and the image of physical activity and sport.

“They said that they’ve seen the ads and they actually say to me, “I want to keep this, I want to keep these. “ And just, “help me get fitter.” There are so many people of so many different shapes that at the end of the day, you are who you are,” said Campbell.

Sports teams and activity groups, like Worcester Ladies Rugby Club, are always welcoming to those that want to come along and take part. This Girl Can is all about this ethos, proving that judgment is just a barrier to overcome and that sport and physical activity is for everyone.

If you’ve been inspired by This Girl Can, new players are invited to come down to Worcester Ladies training sessions to see for themselves what it’s all about. The Ladies train at 7pm on Tuesday and Thursdays, contact Karen Jones on 07876554898 or ladies.media@worcesterrugbyclub.co.uk for more information.

For more on This Girl Can in your local area, stay up to date with the Sports Partnership Herefordshire and Worcestershire on Facebook (/morethansporthw) and Twitter (@morethansporthw) and share your journey using #ThisGirlCan.

See the video here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4AIYy3uJ6o&feature=youtu.be