Bringing festivals to girls rugby
Woody's7s is an U12s-U18s girls XRugby 7s weekend in the UK with music and camping. The founder, Woody, explains how it started and the growth of girls rugby
I have adopted a phrase from an old Sergeant of mine, Sgt Duplock: "I don't want problems, I want solutions".
When Woody’s7 (W7s) started, there was clearly a need for girls rugby events, and the lack of events was a problem. The boys sections have an abundance of events and touring options, so I felt the need to try and become part of a solution.
Woody's 7s started when I had a phone call from a club looking to attend a girls event that I had been running at a previous rugby club. I was subsquently told that my old club were not looking to run the event in my absence. I agreed to look for a location to create W7s.
The event is spread over 4 days and it has evolved with the needs of those coming. Friday is all about setting up tents and having fun, either in the clubhouse playing games and winning plenty of sweets or in their own camping areas.
Saturday starts with the U12s pool games, and as the day progresses we see the older age groups (the older ones seem to enjoy a little longer in their sleeping bags). The day ends in the clubhouse again, we normally have some chances to win things such as W7s stash or even signed shirts.
Sunday is all about semi-finals and finals, the event was never meant to be about winning, but there was a want for it. So I compromised by having a final for every side.
Sunday ends in an explosion of visual amazingness as we have our annual fancy dress competition. I don't set a theme and I probably never will because we all love the variety and imagination.
Whilst everyone is enjoying the entertainment on the Saturday evening, you will probably find me somewhere planning for the following year trying to fix the issues that I have found from the current one in order to make next year’s even better.
Funding and giving back to the community
I'd like to think that I have helped to fill a gap, maybe inspired others to run their own events to give the girls options and variety. Mainly, I'd like to think that I've helped clubs to give their girls memories whilst helping them to fall further in love with rugby.
I have to write this with a smile, whilst making sure people know that I fully understand that what I am about to say does not make sense from a business point of view.
Every penny that comes in from the clubs is used to create a budget. The more people that come, the bigger budget I have. I then budget EVERYTHING that comes in and hope and pray that I break even and wish to make some form of profit.
As I said, I know that this does not make business sense but this isn't really a business. It is there to make sure the girls know that they are important within our sport and to give them the same opportunities as the boys.
If we make profit, the past few years it has been less than a couple of hundred pound, then it is given away. Maybe I should keep some to help cover the cost of the following year but I want to make a difference.
As someone who has been involved at club level, I know how great it feels when someone backs you with some funding or promotion. I want to do as much as I can. So the funds have also been used to sponsor sides and players whilst providing kit and other things, but it's more about them rather than the event being promoted.
At first, I felt Woodys7s was important because the boys had these events and opportunities and that made me angry as I felt the girls were getting less. Over time I feel my views have changed, especially in regards to why I run W7s.
W7s is about offering a friendly and fun weekend where the girls are the main focus, especially as I encourage clusters and actively look to create Barbarian sides. It also helps the coaches, as I do a lot of work to make this an easy tour option for them.
This means that teams get to experience one of the amazing traditions that our sport has to offer. We need girls to be given the chance to fall in love with our sport and it's traditions in order for our game to grow.
We need more events because Woody’s7s may not be what all clubs are looking for, especially those involved in the latter stages of cups. They may want something a bit more competitive.
We don't need to copy the boys events, we need ones that will work for the girls, creating their own identity within the sport.
Growing girls rugby
Giving the girls a voice and listening to them is vital. When I first started coaching girls rugby I thought that I had the answers because I had been surrounded by rugby all of my life and had been a head coach.
In reality I was a 20-something male trying to change the way the girls saw and thought of rugby and it didn't work, making me a poorer coach for it. I found that the best tool was to listen and try to adapt myself to what they wanted.
The sport has done this too, you just have to look at the 6 Nations. I remember taking the girls to Twickenham on a cold February night to watch the Red Roses play to 2,500 people. It felt almost uncomfortable as 80,000 people left the stadium after the men's game.
Those in power moved it and gave it it's own set of dates. I feel that this made it more accessible to girls. Female rugby is different to the male side of the game because each gender has difference preferences or needs but this is not a negative.
Any growth of our beautiful and amazing sport should be encouraged, even if it means making some changes or making a little bit of room at your club to make it work.
To anyone who wants to grow girls’ rugby at my clubs my advice is to not take it personally. That is the best advice that I can offer because it wont grow as fast as the boys section.
It may not grow as fast as other clubs. You may have to run a session to 4 girls for weeks on end but it is worth it in the end.
Remember that if girls turn up then you're doing something right. Listen to them and encourage them to spread the word.
This may mean spending your Friday evening in the clubhouse offering a film night with your 4 players and 10 of their friends, for only 1 friend to give rugby a go, but if the girls want a film night then give it a go.
Happy players talk about rugby to friends, happy players will help to grow your club. You will also need to attack social media (one platform at a time).
I believe that the World Cup will change the sport in ways that the one in 2010 didn't. This is not a dig at those who were involved in 2010 but the views around female rugby has changed for the better since then.
People are engaging more with the sport and we could see similar spikes in interest to those seen for the male side after their World Cups.
How we adapt and maintain that enthusiasm will be the hardest test but I feel that the likes of the PWR will help lead the way to those changes.
Don't get me wrong, we still have to get some club committees to see female rugby as a worthy addition but I honestly believe that it won’t be too much longer until they have no other choice.
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