Mid North Coast Girls Sevens

Girls Rugby on the Mid North Coast received a boost this week with the confirmation of a grant from The Rugby Club Foundation.

The primary object of the Foundation is to encourage the sport of Rugby at grassroots level. With Girls and Women’s Rugby being one of the fastest growing participation sports in the country, The Rugby Club Foundation has identified the Mid North Coast initiative as a key area for development.

With the support of the Foundation, Mid North Coast Rugby have developed Sevens Rugby Competitions for Girls under the age of 18 in both Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie.

In Coffs Harbour there are 30 girls participating each Friday night with players from Coffs Harbour, Southern Cross Uni, Grafton and Dorrigo. In Port Macquarie the response has been even stronger with a total of 53 girls playing each Friday, with teams from Port, Kempsey and Wauchope.

The competitions will come together in a series of three Gala Days in June, July and August with up to 12 teams contesting a Round Robin Tournament. Full details of the Gala Days will be announced shortly.

There has also had a spike in interest from Port Macquarie area Schools, with several indicating their interest to play in a new Mid North Coast Rugby Sevens Competition in Term 3 with 4.

Zone President Peter Gerathy said “We estimate we have gained 50 - 60 new Rugby players already through this initiative and that will expand when the Schools are connected. Sevens Rugby is the ideal way to introduce girls to the game, and with our Olympic girls about to defend their Gold Medal in Tokyo interest will only increase. We are thrilled that The Rugby Club Foundation has supported Rugby on the Mid North Coast.”

The Foundation’s Grants Committee Chair, Paula Ward, said “The Rugby Club Foundation wants more girls to have the opportunity to learn about Rugby, explore their interest in the game and grow their skills. We applaud Mid North Coast Rugby for creating this initiative to encourage girls throughout the zone to participate in this competition and build their experience on the field.”

Mid North Coast Rugby thanks The Rugby Club Foundation for supporting this initiative and looks forward to Sharing the Spirt of the Game in the local community.