Friendly

OKEHAMPTON RFC Ladies 7

LAUNCESTON WOMEN’s XV 46

IT was a real landmark for Okehampton Rugby Club when their women’s XV played their first ever game of rugby at the club.

A group of women came together last July to start training and learning the game. Head coach Gareth Evans, assisted by Clare Hooper, Ian Langbridge, Shannon Dearing and Tom Powell, took skills sessions and Richard Bolt held fitness sessions for them.

The 22 strong squad progressed through skills sessions and developed their understanding of the game throughout the winter and reached the stage where taking part in a full on game was the next step — a fantastic milestone for the club.

Gareth said: ‘We are very proud of the first ORFC ladies’ team to ever take to the field at The Showground. It’s been a long and arduous journey trying to build the squad and coach them, the majority of whom had never picked up a rugby ball before since the idea was floated in early summer last year. The hard part was trying to get them to a level which was firstly safe and secondly they had the confidence to take on such a physical sport without scaring them off!

‘As it turns out the ladies of Okehampton and surrounding areas are made of far sterner stuff showing huge heart, massive potential and I genuinely couldn’t be prouder along with all the other coaches that have had input into this great group of players and many others that have helped out along the way. Sunday was just the completion of phase one, to get the girls on to the field of play to play a competitive game and they certainly did that but a lot more hard work is to come.

‘Although you may not think so looking at the score line, it was actually a competitive game with the girls showing why in any relationship they are always the brains of the outfit, learning very quickly as the game went on, with Maddy scoring the first ever Okehampton Ladies’ try which was just the end of a fantastic team effort building up to it.’

Gareth thanked Launceston, who he said were a great bunch, and congratulated them on their first win and said he was ‘very much looking forward to building the relationship with undoubtedly more games to come’.

‘In all though, so many big performances across the squad for girls taking part in their very first competitive game, the future looks very bright for the Okehampton Ladies’ rugby team.’