School teams from Temple Moor, Morley Academy, Pudsey Grangefield and Allerton High played out the finals of the Girls Sky Try Touch Rugby finals for years 7 and 8 last week.
25 girls in total from the four school finalists completed a round robin of short indoor games designed to provide an introduction to rugby league for girls learning to play the game in secondary school.
The finals event hosted by winners on the night, Allerton High School, was the culmination of four regional qualifying tournaments across the city including 13 schools and over 100 year 7 and 8 girls, all organised by Women and Girls Rugby League Development Officer Lois Forsell.
As part of the continued development of the girls playing in the tournaments, Lois also delivers coaching workshops with the schools in lunchtime and after school clubs.
Speaking about the Sky Try programme Forsell said:
“It’s been a great term so far working with different schools around the city. Most of the girls have little or no experience of rugby so having coaching sessions and workshops as part of their school sport has been great as an introduction into the game and some of the girls are showing some real potential.”
Miss Secker from Pudsey Grangefield commented on the success of the Sky Try Girls Touch Rugby programme:
“We’ve been working with Lois for nearly two years now and it’s been a great opportunity to play in these Indoor Touch Tournaments, the girls are really engaged in it and their skills have come on massively, I could have brought six teams along today in all honesty so it’s really good for the girls.”
“The girls are really keen to do some contact rugby now which is great, we’ve definitely got at least a squad for under 13s and at least 15 girls who are interested in playing, and it’s good to have the club links as well through having Lois coming into schools.”
A video of the event is available to view below: