Step 1: Engage with Your Club Committee
Initiate discussions with your club's committee to secure support for launching a women's or girls' team. Aim to align with the club's goals and resources and showcase the benefits a new team will bring to the wider club community.
Step 2: Identify Key Stakeholders
Engage with parents, existing female players, local schools, and your Constituent Body (CB) to build a network of supporters,
Find advocates within your club who will support and champion girls’ rugby. If you can find allies from the male game, they can offer valuable moral support and guidance.
Have you spoken to parents or older players to see if anyone has a passion for supporting girls’ rugby at your club? Finding new volunteers will help to share the workload and create a more sustainable club.
Step 3: Make a Plan and Budget
Determine the age groups you aim to serve. You can set up a girls-only team at any age, and from U12 onwards, girls and boys must split into single sex teams. Visit the girls' rugby page for more information.
You may want to offer both contact or non-contact formats, such as T1 Rugby, to cater to different skill levels and preferences.
Consider costs for equipment and kit, facilities, and promotional activities when creating your budget.
Step 4: Identify Required Volunteers and Coaching Roles
Assess your need for coaches, team managers, and other support roles. Use England Rugby's resources to plan your volunteer recruitment and development and coach training and support requirements.
Step 5: Build Your Local and Online Network
Connect with local schools and community organisations such as the Girl Guides and Scouts, to promote your new team and attract players. Engage with the Girls' Rugby and Women's Rugby Facebook pages for support and networking.
Step 6: Allocate Golden Roles on GMS and Register Your Team
Assign key roles such as coach, team manager, and safeguarding officer within the Game Management System (GMS). Ensure all players are registered in line with RFU regulations.
By registering your girls' team on GMS and allocating individuals to the Golden Roles, the RFU can monitor participation levels in your club. This increases your chances of receiving funding and makes your team visible to potential players via Find Rugby.
Step 7: Plan a Recruitment Event and Campaign
Use the Love Rugby (girls) and Inner Warrior (women) campaign promotional materials and guidance to plan and deliver a successful recruitment campaign.
Step 8: Create a Welcoming Environment
Consider what your club will look and feel like to a girl. What impression would your club make when they arrive for the first time? Are you inspiring girls and their parents to return next week? Are you promoting and celebrating female rugby around your facilities? Aim to make girls feel valued and that they belong at your club.
Provide clean and safe facilities, including girls’ toilets with locks and sanitary provisions. Ensure the front door is easy to find, with clear signage and external lighting. Use clear signage throughout the clubhouse so to help girls to find their way around. For more guidance, visit the Female friendly facilities page.
Representation of women in coaching and volunteer positions creates role models and someone who girls can relate to. Involving older girls as volunteers and leaders can inspire and encourage younger girls.
Positive communication will help you engage new girls and their parents. Showcase the girls’ pathway so they can see what their journey at the club could look like. Reassure them there is no pressure to play in competitive fixtures or contact rugby until they are ready.
Step 9: Promote Your Team
Use social media, local media outlets, and community events to raise awareness about the new team. Share success stories and highlight the benefits of joining the rugby community.
