I have always had a love for rugby, as my brother plays rugby and many of my coaches, and teachers come from a background of rugby. Starting in 2016, another student and I have been in the process of starting up a girls rugby team for our school. It took a lot of time, and effort to be able to make it happen. We had countless meetings with school officials, and were constantly taking steps to create a girls rugby team from ground zero. After a lot of hard work, we were able to get a trial run in the fall. We met weekly and played a game of touch with the boys during what they considered their pre-season. After a regular turn-up that proved the commitment of the girls, a coach has been hired to further develop our skills throughout the winter. We meet once a week, and consider this our pre-season. In the spring of 2018, we will meet twice a week with the hope of having a few matches and possibly host a tournament at our school.
Practicing Through the Winter
Practices have continued through the winter every Monday from 5-6pm. We practice regardless of the weather, but all of us have fun whilst playing regardless. Typically its pitch black while we play so field lights are turned on, this photo was taken as the winter season was ending.
Game Day
A friendly match was arranged between Frankfurt's Touch Rugby adult Team and our girl's team. This happened in a park, where the team normally meets for practices twice a week and friendly matches on Sundays. We started off the day breaking into small groups and working on drills with a few of Frankfurt's touch team which was very helpful in both assimilating us with their team and getting comfortable to ease any nerves. We then began a friendly match, our teams were mixed together so we were playing with each other rather than against each other. It was an absolute blast, and it was so fun to finally be able to apply all the skills we work on in practice and apply it in a fast-paced game. This lasted for about two hours, and overall was an amazing learning experience for both parties.
Supervisor Review and End of Year Reflection
Being able to start the Girls Touch Rugby Team and being able to see it take off has been such a rewarding experience to see all hard work pay off. Seeing such a committed group of girls, willing meet to continue on this team has been wonderful. Part taking in the touch game was definitely the highlight of the year. There were challenges at first, such as having enough girls show up to each practice for a team. In the end, it was all worth it.