‘The thing I love about the game is the team spirit and the buzz. The highs of scoring a try or winning a match is amazing.
“But even on the not so good games, the support from everyone is incredible. It feels like I’m part of a family. Once you start playing rugby, you’re addicted.”
That’s the view of 26-year-old accountant Georgie White, from Didcot, who got in to rugby when she was looking for a challege and to improve her fitness after getting bored of just going to the gym.
“I’ve always loved to watch rugby so thought I’d find my nearest team, go along to a training session and give it a go. I’ve been hooked ever since,” she said.
And she’s not the only one.
Team captain Alice Loft started playing as a student at St Peter’s in Oxford when the college men’s team decided to start coaching any girls who were keen to learn. They started a sevens team (a full team is 15) to play against the other colleges.
“It was so much fun that it ignited a passion for rugby which hasn’t left me since,” said Alice, 29, a doctor, currently in anaesthetics training and living in Headington.
“When I left university and started work I joined the Oxford ladies team, eventually taking over as captain last season. I love playing rugby but even more than that I am on a mission to get as many women playing rugby as possible.”
It’s not the first sport most women would think of when picking a new activity but Alice is hoping stereotypes are being challenged.
“I think the traditional view of rugby as a bloke’s sport is changing: the increased coverage of the women’s Six Nations this year has raised awareness of women’s rugby, and has shown the sort of female role models that it provides . . . let’s just say that they don’t really fall into the typical stereotype that a lot of people might have in their mind of a female rugby player.
“I think it’s a great sport for women – it engenders physical fitness and with that a real sense of wellbeing.
“It’s also an incredibly close-knit and supportive social scene: we have a great time as a team both on and off the pitch.”
Georgie agreed: “I would certainly recommend rugby to other women.
“I do find that many females are scared off as they think it’s a brutal game but you really do have to just come and find out.
“It’s actually real fun and a good laugh, there is so much support behind you. I’ve made so many friends from joining.”
The team is an eclectic mix. The age range is 18 up to late 30s (“that is by no means an age limit, it’s just the current demographic,” said Alice).
Some of the women have played hockey or football in the past – while others just decided they wanted to get off the sofa and try something new, not having played any sports since the enforced PE lessons of their school days.
“We’ve got physiotherapists, nurses, doctors, policewomen, delivery drivers, students, journalists . . . all sorts of people,” said Alice.
Women playing rugby competitively is a fairly new phenomenon, certainly in comparison to the men’s game.
“For example the first international tournament for women only took place in 1990,” said Alice.
“The higher [regional and national] levels of the game in this country are definitely much bigger now than they ever used to be but I think I’m right in saying that there isn’t a professional game as such, like there is for the men.
“The RFU website has the numbers of girls and women playing rugby nationwide at about 14,000, and there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes currently to increase that number significantly to coincide with the Rugby World Cup 2015.”

Is it the thought of injury which may have put women off taking up the sport?
Not according to Alice. “Part of the appeal of rugby for lots of people is the physical competition involved, and being a contact sport there is a lot of physicality,” she said. “We do get occasional injuries with that but fortunately with good coaching and technique as well as maintaining our strength and fitness, they are few and far between.”
Georgie said: “Games can be tough going depending on the team you’re up against...But once that whistle goes, the adrenalin kicks in and all you think about is getting your hands on that ball and getting it past the try line.
“I find if you go into each game with passion and adrenalin, you won’t feel the contact so much . . . it’s only the day after you really ache.”
But despite that the women hugely enjoy their time both on and off the field.
Alice said: “Over the summer we’ve attended several weekend sevens tournaments in our Sevens incarnation, the Urban Chox (this is a joint sevens team with some of our ex-teamates over at Chesham.)”
As well as weekends away team members often go for nights out in town or at the club, with variable involvement of fancy dress but invariable consumption of at least a few beers.
And as with the men’s teams: “What goes on tour stays on tour,” said Georgie. “So you have to come along to find out!”

 

About the team

 

Oxford ladies rugby team has been going for many years and has recently moved from being based at Oxford rugby club to Gosford All Blacks in Kidlington. They play in the National Challenge South East West 2 league which allows the team to drop to a minimum of 12 players for league matches if necessary, rather than the usual 15.

They would welcome new members. “The sort of attributes we’re looking for are mainly enthusiasm and dedication,” said Alice. “There is no need for any prior knowledge of rugby specifically and it isn't necessary to be really fit at the outset. Rugby is brilliant for developing fitness and so it is likely to get you in shape. ”

The team trains twice weekly, on Monday and Thursday evenings at 7pm, focusing on fitness, with strength and conditioning work going alongside cardio fitness training. There are ball handling drills as well as contact work practising tackling and scrummaging. Usually sessions last an hour and a half. Matches are on Sundays between late September and March.

There are girls’ teams at the club, providing for under 15s and under 18s.

The senior team will be in action at a pre-season away friendly against Witney this Sunday, starting at 3pm.

There are very few differences between the rugby played at senior men’s level and senior women’s rugby apart from some small technical differences at the scrum and the ability to drop up to three players if needed in the lower leagues of the women's game.

If you are interested in taking part in a training session email the coach at jamesgaisford@gosford rugby.com or join the facebook group Oxford Ladies All Blacks and send them a message.