Chinnor RFC celebrates girls' rugby growth and encourages more to have a try
The club is hosting a festival to mark a milestone in its girls' section and introduce others to the sport
More than 100 girls are now playing at Chinnor RFC, as the Oxfordshire club celebrates the growth with a special festival today.
The "Bring a Mum and a Friend" touch rugby festival is taking place at the club in Thame from 2pm to 4pm, with women and girls of all abilities encouraged to give the sport a go.
The afternoon will see players from the Under-10s right through to the senior women's team, the Kites, take part in friendly games alongside familiar faces.
Lisa Ranieri, the new chair of Chinnor RFC's girls' section, explained why she believes rugby has so much to offer.
"It really gives girls a place to belong. They make friends, build confidence and generally feel part of something bigger," she said.
"Rugby is that sort of game where everyone has a role and nobody's left out. And those sorts of friendships that they make on the pitch, they last far beyond the final whistle."
Lisa says the success of the England women's team has also played a significant role in encouraging more girls to take up rugby.
"The Red Roses have been a huge inspiration. Girls can now see women playing rugby at the very top of their game and they want to be part of it," she said.
"We want to keep that momentum going and give girls in our area an easy way to have a go."
The club now has a dedicated girls' committee and a pathway allowing players to progress from the Under-10s through to senior women's rugby.
Lisa believes being part of a team can make a real difference, particularly while girls are growing up.
"At a time when perhaps girls are experiencing a number of issues, school, friendships, body image and confidence, rugby really provides a safe place for girls to be exactly who they are," she said.
"You've got girls from all kinds of backgrounds, girls filling positions in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and every girl is valued."
Chinnor RFC's men's first team currently competes in Champ Rugby, the second tier of English rugby, while the club is hoping to build on the growing popularity of its girls' and women's teams.
Today's festival is just the beginning, with more opportunities planned throughout the 2026/27 season for girls to try rugby.
Lisa added: "We will also offer very specific smaller age group trial and taster sessions where people can just come along and give it a try with girls their own age."