“Sport England’s investment of National Lottery funding has
helped considerably as we’ve prepared for this world cup, but also
it has had a big impact on women and girls starting out in our
sport. We’ve been finalists before, but winning a World Cup on home
soil would be a huge boost for women’s rugby and every member of
the squad is totally focused on achieving that goal.”
Catherine Spencer, England captain
England women’s rugby team are preparing to take on New
Zealand in Sunday’s 2010 World Cup Final after beating Australia
15-0 at The Twickenham Stoop.
And to build on the success of the tournament and the Sport
England-funded team, the RFU has launched a wide range of legacy
programmes to boost both participation levels and the sport’s fan
base.
The big match is a repeat of the last World Cup final, but the
squad are determined that this time the result will be different
against a Black Ferns team that have won three consecutive World
Cups.
“Sport England’s investment of National Lottery funding has
helped considerably as we’ve prepared for this World Cup, but also
it has had a big impact on women and girls starting out in our
sport”, said England captain, Catherine Spencer. “We’ve been
finalists before, but winning a World Cup on home soil would be a
huge boost for women’s rugby and every member of the squad is
totally focused on achieving that goal.”
Sport England's Director of Sport, Lisa O'Keefe, who has 45
Scotland international rugby caps herself said: “Congratulations to
all those who have competed in the tournament - we have seen some
great sporting moments, in some outstanding games. The
participating teams have been an inspiration to aspiring female
players.”
Away from the Stoop, 12 legacy project officers have begun
delivering 30 schemes across the country. Aside from increasing
participation, the programmes are raising awareness and enhancing
the opportunities available for girls and women to be involved in
the game, at all levels.
The projects include:
- A club toolkit fund which focuses on recruiting and retaining
players by giving direct funding to local clubs - enabling them to
address local needs and requirements, including coaching and
volunteering
- Curtain-Raisers - an opportunity for female youth teams to be
involved in the Premiership. Teams are invited to play and
subsequently take part in a Q&A session with international
players. The Curtain-Raisers are already engaging youth players and
boosting the profile of the women’s game regionally.
- Here Come the Girls - an inspirational DVD for budding female
players. The film shows elite players talking about their
experiences, including their journeys from club to country.
Showcased in schools, the DVD provides a tangible insight into
women’s rugby.
- Several school-based programmes tackling the provision of the
sport and introducing the game to younger school children. The RFU
has already completed successful school competitions tied to the
World Cup, such as the national event ‘The Spirit of Rugby’. The
competition saw 20 schools take part, each representing a nation.
The winners received World Cup tickets and will be standing as
‘Guard of Honour’ at the final.
Sport England invests £2 million a year into women’s rugby, with
around £500,000 dedicated to supporting England’s elite squad and
developing the next generation of women rugby players via England's
talent pool.
For more information visit the the 2010 Women’s Rugby World Cup
website