Hampshire RFU Celebrates Selection of the 2025 England Rugby U16 Girls PDG Squad

Hampshire RFU is proud to announce the 43 players selected for the 2025 England Rugby U16 Girls Player Development Group (PDG). Nominations were openly offered to all clubs to share with parents, and we were delighted to see nearly every girls’ section across the county engage with us. This reflects the continuing growth of the game and the strength of club support behind it.

The PDG programme offers a full season of development aligned to the RFU Girls’ Curriculum and delivered by Hampshire’s coaching team. The purpose of the programme is to develop players holistically; technically, physically, and mentally,  while opportunities remain open through mid-season reviews and assessments to ensure standards remain high.

Club Representation

Players in this year’s squad come from across Hampshire’s rugby community, including:

  • Basingstoke RFC
  • Eastleigh RFC
  • Ellingham & Ringwood RFC
  • Farnham RFC
  • Fawley RFC
  • Havant RFC
  • Petersfield RFC
  • Portsmouth RFC
  • Trojans FC
  • Alton RFC (dual registered)
  • Winchester RFC

This county-wide spread demonstrates the growing strength of the girls’ game, inspired in no small part by the ongoing success of the Red Roses.

Stefan Hargrave, Hampshire RFU Girls’ Lead, said:

“The level of commitment and athleticism this year has been outstanding. What excites us most is the potential for growth as the season progresses. With the balance of returners and new players, plus mid-season reviews, the squad will continue to be challenged, and opportunities will remain for others to step in and impress.”

Hampshire RFU looks forward to supporting the U16 Girls PDG squad through a season of development and progress, confident that the pathway will continue to raise standards and create future Red Roses.

Hampshire’s Young Leaders Inspired by Red Roses as part of Rugby World Cup 2025

The Women’s RWC inspiring the next generation.

Three of Hampshire’s young rugby leaders were given a unique opportunity this week when they attended a Red Roses training session in Brighton as part of preparations for the Rugby World Cup 2025.

Jasmine Knight, Ruby Rees-Stoner and Rosie Wragg – all young coaches and referees who are already giving back to the game – spent the day watching England’s stars up close, seeing first-hand the standards and values that underpin the world’s number one women’s rugby team. They were accompanied by the new Hampshire Girls PDG Lead Stefan Hargrave (mainly as the photographer!).

Girls Inspiring Girls

The experience was designed not only to showcase the Red Roses’ preparations but also to inspire Hampshire’s next generation of coaches and match officials as they begin assisting with the Girls Player Development Group (PDG) and county representative programmes for women and girls.

Stefan Hargrave, Girls PDG Lead for Hampshire RFU, said;
“These young women are already leaders in their own right. Watching the Red Roses has energised them for the season ahead, and they’ll now take that inspiration back into Hampshire’s PDG and county environments. It’s a brilliant example of how the Women’s Rugby World Cup is impacting the game beyond the host venues.”

Carrying the Torch Forward

For Jasmine, Ruby, and Rosie, the chance to stand just metres away from their England heroes was about more than just rugby. It was a reminder of what’s possible when hard work meets opportunity – and a spark to carry into their own leadership journeys.

With the Rugby World Cup 2025 being the biggest celebration of women’s rugby ever held in England and proving to be hugely popular, Hampshire’s commitment to developing coaches, referees, and role models for girls has never been stronger.

Find out more or get involved:

  • Hampshire RFU Girls Pathway and Representative Rugby here
  • Young Match Officials here
  • Coaching in Hampshire here

Welcome to Hampshire’s first Schools Rugby Manager

Hampshire RFU and TKAT (www.tkat.org) are proud to announce the appointment of Luke Worthington as the county’s first Schools Rugby Manager.

This landmark role, made possible through match-funding by TKAT and the RFU’s National Schools Rugby Manager (SRM) network, will focus initially on the Havant, Portsmouth and Gosport areas. This is a vital step towards boosting school rugby in the county.

The new 3 year funded position brings with it a set of exciting responsibilities: introducing and growing non-contact and contact rugby across primary and secondary schools, upskilling teachers and young leaders through CPD, building partnerships with clubs and community organisations, and collecting and reporting on impact to ensure sustainability.

TKAT (The Kemnal Academies Trust), which operates 45 primary, secondary, special and all through academies across southern England, including Havant Academy, Front Lawn Primary, Bridgemary and Miltoncross Academy, are co-sponsoring the post. TKAT is recognised for its strong school-to-school support and continuous professional development ethos. This aligns directly to the SRM post as it looks to work with state schools from across the area. Hampshire RFU is proud to have played a central role in brokering this partnership with TKAT and supporting recruitment.

Neil McRoberts, Chair of Hampshire RFU, said “Our thanks go to the RFU for funding such a crucial role and to TKAT for engaging with us. This is a fantastic example of collaboration between Multi Academy Trusts, the RFU and Hampshire RFU, bringing much-needed resources into Hampshire to support school rugby and create a pathway into our clubs.”

Luke will be based in the Havant, Portsmouth, and Gosport cluster, establishing rugby programmes and opportunities, including T1 (non-contact) in local state primary and secondary schools. The role starts on 1st September 2025.

For more information on Luke’s work, or to get involved, contact Hampshire RFU at admin@hampshirerfu.com.

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