Quilter Kids First Champions winner – March: Minehead Barbarians RFC

Not only did our winning club, Minehead Barbarians RFC, travel to England Rugby’s training ground to meet Nolli; they were also joined by England Rugby stars Henry Slade, Ben Moon and Joe Launchbury! What the professionals didn’t know was that Nolli and the kids were firmly in charge of the training session.

Minehead Barbarians RFC won for their work in helping to grow girls’ rugby. What started with three or four girls has developed into full teams at U11s, U13s, U15s and U18s; something that is, as Joe Launchbury pointed out, a great reflection on the club. This growth can be witnessed across the club; they now have 170 boys and girls playing regularly.

Developing players as individuals is what Minehead Barbarians are all about, and they achieve this by making sure that every child plays at least half a game, and including fun elements such as wearing fancy dress during training. Ben Moon says, “The main factor is enjoyment and that’s going to help them grow the game.”

To find out more about Quilter Kids First Champions, visit the England Rugby website.