On the pitch
Our U16’s cluster with Harlow currently sit 3rd in the Essex Girls U16’s league behind league winners Basildon and national cup participants Braintree. With 4 wins and 1 draw from 7 games they eagerly await the results of Eton Manor who are the only team to dislodge them from 3rd as they have 2 games in hand. Outside of the Essex league our cluster has also taken part in the X County league, of which they won in 22/23. Playing teams from across Herts, Cambridge and Bedford the 16’s enjoyed a successful season only losing 1 game from 5.

Our U16’s played their final game of the season at home to Bishops Stortford on Sunday 28th in which they were led out by club captain Cherys who took over the role after her sister Elexis suffered a season ending ACL injury in November.

Our U12’s/U14’s season saw us take part in the newly created Essex Pitch Up and Play (PUP) events. The PUP events are to give girls in the U12 & U14 age grades an additional opportunity to play rugby where clubs get together to form teams out of whatever numbers they can bring. Brentwood were fortunate enough to host the most recent PUP in which 135 girls from 17 clubs came down to the club to take part in the event. Next season these PUPs will also spread to U16’s and U18’s which will run alongside the league.

In a county first we formed a Girls Minis team in January which gives girls in the U9’s,U10’s and U11’s an alternative route into girls rugby from the standard mixed gendered rugby. THe Girls Minis team took part in the Hertford RFC U8/U9 girls touch rugby festival under the lights. The festival which is the first of its kind in the UK was the first ever fixture for our Girls Minis team with 2 Brentwood players who were recruited via the formation of this team taking part. Even with the formation of this team girls are still able to play rugby with the boys as the club still sees 3 girls turn out regularly in the U9’s.

Our U18 Lily played this season under the Harcroft banner which is the cluster of Harlow and Bancroft who competed in the Essex U18 league as well as the National Cup, finishing their pool in second place and advancing to the regional cup where they were knocked out by Enfield. Lily also represented the club at Essex U18’s playing in all 3 match days for the county of which the club is incredibly proud of her continued involvement with the county side.

18 girls currently play their rugby at BRFC, a number we hope we can double by the end of next season.

Off the pitch
As we continue to grow the girls game into the wider rugby and local community some of our efforts this season has included:
- The formation of our girls rugby social media which post regular training and match information. Find us at Brentwood Girls Rugby on Facebook or on Instagram via @girlsrugbybrentwood
- Going into schools to promote girls rugby
- Having a member on the BRFC Exco
- Hosting Girls rugby events like the PUP mentioned above
- Becoming a Saracens Womens Sister club
- Signed up to the Love Rugby RFU campagne

Next Season and beyond:
Next season we hope to continue the upward momentum we have via the following means

Clusters
Clusters are vital in girls rugby as they help clubs play meaningful games and train with wider numbers.
Our U18’s will continue to cluster with Harlow RFC who will compete in the Essex U18’s league and PUPs. This cluster will also allow up to enter the Nation Cup via Harlow in which our U18’s will be dual affiliated to both us and Harlow on GMS as per RFU rules stating that clubs entering must have all players who play for them in the tournament affiliated to said club.

Our U16’s are currently looking into forming a cluster with other clubs with smaller playing numbers around Essex to take part in the U16’s league. They remain incredibly interested in working with long term club cluster Harlow as much as possible outside of the league.

Our Girls Minis, U12’s & U14’s currently don’t have clusters but will still take part in PUPs as the season continues.

Recruitment
Old Brentwoods have recently started their own girls team over the course of the season meaning we have to be ever more proactive about getting the Brentwood Girls Rugby message out there! Please encourage all family and friends who have daughters of all ages to come down to the club and give rugby a try. Every little helps!

Over the course of the summer we have signed up to the RFU Love Rugby campagne. Love Rugby is a campaign to give girls a voice and raise visibility that rugby union is a game where they belong. Part of this campaign the club is putting on a Love Rugby camp on the 19th May in which girls are encouraged to come down and give rugby a try. Parents and players are able to find us via www.findrugby.com which shows us as a club who offer girls rugby at U12-U18 and as a love rugby camp.

We are also going to be running Summer touch sessions on Sundays from June 30th keep an eye on our socials for more information.

Girls Pre-Season training will start 6:30pm Tuesday 6th August.

Volunteers
As the girls section grows in size I am in need of extra support particularly on our match days (Sunday) where we will be having multiple teams in action in different places. Midweek training will still see our youth age groups combine as numbers grow but all help is greatly appreciated.
The roles we are looking to fill for next season are:
Girls Mini’s Coach
U12/U14 Coach
U16 Coach
Section fundraiser

If you feel you can help out in one of these role or even help in any other ways please get in touch with myself

Sponsorship
We are hoping to get a sponsor before next season to help us supply girls rugby training tops to the girls. If you know anyone interested in supporting our group please get in touch.

Events
Next season marks 5 years of girls rugby at Brentwood. To celebrate the club will bring its famous Golden Boot Tournament into the girls game for U18’s age grade. The 16 team tournament will take place on the 6th of April 2025 at King Georges. All funds raised at the tournament will be reinvested into the girls section.

We are also hosting one of the new U16/U18’s 24/25 PUPs on 10/11 a date which also marks the first girls game at the club which we played against Harlow.

Ladies
Next season also sees us start preparing to launch our Ladies team in the 25/26 season, the club's 90th anniversary. Watch this space over the next year for more information.

Any enquiries to the above feel free to contact me at harry.adams@brentwoodrugbyclub.com

Huge thanks to our Clusters, parents and our volunteers
I know that you will all join me to providing a huge thank you to the following groups that are vital to the girls ongoing operation:
Firstly, our cluster Harlow who continue to support the Club and enable us to provide the great rugby experience on and off pitch at BRFC. Without Harlow our girls would have struggled to take part in meaningful training and games.

Secondly I’d like to thank Chloe Bartlett-Reeves and Emma Bradshaw who have volunteered time into the girls section this season. Chloe has managed the U16’s Harlow cluster ensuring that both clubs turn up to the right place for training and matches as well as arranging after match food for the girls. Emma has helped revamp our social media, supplying us with pre-match posters and an amazing Girls rugby promotion poster which I’m sure you’d agree are a lot better than my creative efforts in the early months of the season.

Finally I’d like to thank all the parents of our girls rugby group who give up their Sundays bringing the girls to training and games. Without them we simply wouldn’t have any players.

Have a great summer and here’s to a great 24/25!
In summary, BRFC Girls has made great strides during the 2023/24 season with many achievements on and off the pitch, so we look forward to the season coming as an opportunity to build further on this great year. Please enjoy a restful summer break with friends and family and I look forward to seeing you all in the new season.

Harry Adams,
BRFC Womens & Girls Chairman