Registrations for a fun weekend aimed at fostering rugby culture to women’s and girls’ players are now open.
Goulburn Rugby, in conjunction with the ACT Brumbies and Trinity Rugby, will hold the first Girls in Rugby weekend at Goulburn’s Rugby Park in Addison St on the weekend of 3-4 February 2024. These clinics will give participants an opportunity to hear and learn directly from current representative players and coaches, while taking part in skills sessions and game play.
Former Brumbies player Ashley Mewburn, who is the inaugural Australian U18s Schoolgirls 7s coach and current Goulburn Women’s coach, will be one of the experienced coaches working with the weekend’s participants. She’ll be joined by members of the Brumbies development team, and other coaches with level 2 qualifications.
Former Brumbies player Ashley Mewburn, who is the inaugural Australian U18s Schoolgirls 7s coach and current Goulburn Women’s coach, will be one of the experienced coaches working with the weekend’s participants. Photo: Peter Oliver.
Mewburn said the weekend’s activities were perfect for any players looking to kick start their preseason, or newcomers looking to come and try rugby.
“Women’s rugby continues to grow around the world, with more than a quarter of the sport’s participants now women and girls,” Mewburn said.
“It’s been fantastic to watch girls’ and women’s rugby go from strength to strength over the past couple of years. The rugby programs of our high schools are helping produce the next generation of women’s players, and the future is looking quite bright.”
So far, participants from the South Coast, Tumut, Cooma, and Young have already registered for the weekend, where they will be joined by current Goulburn players and lots of new comers.
“We’ve already had a great response to the event, but the more, the merrier. This is aimed at girls through to women – it doesn’t matter your age; you’re going to get something out of this weekend,” Mewburn said.
“Over the past few years, we’ve seen that rugby has some genuine representative pathways for Goulburn’s players. A number of women have gone on to make the Monaro, ACT Country, ACT Kestrels, and even ACT Brumbies Super W sides.
Goulburn Rugby’s women’s team had a strong presence in the Monaro Representative side. Photo: Peter Oliver.
“We’ve also seen a number of local school girl players earn representative honours, either through 7s or 12s competitions, including several players who travelled to Spain last year as part of the Raptors squad. There are so many opportunities for girls and women in rugby, and this weekend will also provide scouting opportunities for more school girl representative pathways.”
For $20, registered participants will receive a training shirt, lunch, and refreshments. Participants can register through Rugby Xplorer, via https://auth.rugbyxplorer.com.au/login?clientId=portal&codeChallenge=&redirectPath=/mt-choose-registration or simply search for “Girls in Rugby Goulburn” in the EVENT – FIND A TEAM search field.
The weekend would not be possible without the support of some amazing sponsors, including Goulburn Powder Coating, Goulburn McDonalds, R&S Kitchens, Laterals Accounting, Mick Seaman Plumbing, and Remington Kitchens.
Some fantastic prizes and giveaways for the weekend have been supplied by Goulburn SportsPower, Georgie Darcy Hair, Goulburn Day Spa, Rumours & Runways, and Diana Ransom Hair and Makeup.
For parents or players looking for a caffeine boost, the Beans n Brew Coffee van will be on site both mornings.
For more information about the weekend, you can call Jordan on 0459 781 071, Caren on 0409 962 598, email girlsrugbygoulburn@gmail.com, or check out the Goulburn Rugby social media pages (@GoulburnRugby).
