Weston and Cheddar have joined forces to create an under-13 girls’ rugby team to progress and promote rugby for girls in the area.

When girls start school in year seven, they no longer qualify to play mixed rugby so being able to keep the girls playing rugby at their own clubs was really important for Weston and Cheddar.

Having seen their girls come up through the mini ranks and them wanting to continue playing competitive rugby, it was a great opportunity for both clubs to join together and create a combined Cheddar Weston Roses section.

Combining the clubs to create this new venture means they now have a strong team and the girls get to play the sport they love, meeting new friends and gaining great fitness and enjoyment.

Jon Wood and Paul Newbury, who coach the team and are assisted by Hannah Capes, said: “We’ve had amazing support from local businesses to help this great bunch of girls get started.

“A huge thank you to our kit sponsors MJ Patch, Head Matters, Voicepath Ltd, MP & KM Golding and Robinson Clark, along with the support from parents.

“We’ve already had a great response with new players starting in the last few weeks and we’ve now got a squad of new and experienced players learning from each other and looking forward to the season ahead.”

The RFU have brought out a fantastic initiative called Ready4Rugby to keep mini and junior rugby being played during this pandemic which enables clubs to train and play matches with no contact.

The girls are enjoying new skills and challenges this brings. You can found out more about Ready4Rugby, a fun way to dip your toes into the game, online at englandrugby.com/Ready4Rugby.

Cheddar Weston Roses played their first Ready4Rugby match against Winscombe recently and the game was thoroughly enjoyed by girls and parents alike.

Training for the Under-13 Roses takes place every Sunday from 10.30-11.45a, with the venue alternating each week between Cheddar and Weston.

There are also sessions every Wednesday at 6-7pm at Cheddar RFC with games being confirmed month by month.

For more information about the new team, contact Jon Wood on 07497 119643 or Emily New on 07557 680734.