KS3 Girls Shine Through the Storm at Schools Festival

Driving rain and thick mud weren’t enough to dampen the spirit of more than 250 girls who took to the pitches on Friday 14th November at Trojans FC for the KS3 Girls Rugby Festival, part of the Hampshire Schools RFU (HSRFU) programme and proudly supported by Hampshire RFU.

Sixteen schools from across the county braved the conditions to take part in the Year 7, 8, and 9 festival, transforming a sodden Friday into a celebration of energy, determination, and muddy smiles. While attendance was slightly down on last year, unsurprising given the weather, those who made it contributed to a vibrant, spirited day of rugby development.

The festival was supported by the new Schools Rugby Manager (SRM), who made an immediate and positive impression on staff, volunteers, and participants alike.

Despite the challenging weather, a dedicated group of volunteers delivered the entire festival with remarkable resilience. Among them were two young female volunteers who had completed their Ready2Ref course just a week earlier, and then spent the whole day refereeing in the rain. Their commitment and enthusiasm were singled out as standout contributions.

Though the festival was a clear success, the day also highlighted an ongoing need: events of this scale and importance require sustained support, not only from the RFU, but increasingly from the schools themselves to ensure long-term sustainability and growth.

Hampshire RFU once again played a key role, providing vital support in planning and delivering the festival, helping ensure that every participant left with confidence, experience, and, inevitably, half the Trojans mud on their kit.

Stefan Hargrave, HSRFU Schools Girls Lead joked, “I pity the minibus carpets and washing machines, but what a day!”

 

School Rugby Manager Update – October half term 2025

In my first half term as School Rugby Manager, I’ve been greatly encouraged by the passion and commitment shown by volunteers across our region. It’s been inspiring to meet so many people working together with a shared goal — to grow grassroots rugby within our state primary and secondary schools.

This half term has seen some fantastic initiatives take shape. Nine girls from Havant Academy had the incredible opportunity to play rugby on the pitch at Twickenham Stadium as part of the Continental Experience Day. Planning is already underway to build on this success by launching an after-school girls’ rugby club at the academy.

Across the region, 140 girls from 12 schools took part in touch rugby events hosted by Havant RFC, while two exciting new school-club partnerships have been established:

Miltoncross Academy with Portsmouth RFC

Bridgemary School with Gosport & Fareham RFC

In addition, ten local teachers have completed the RFU Secondary School Rugby Coaching Day at Cowplain School, helping to upskill and empower staff to deliver quality rugby sessions within their schools.

As we move towards Christmas, momentum continues to build. I’ll be working with PE leads from several local primary schools to deliver T1 taster sessions and distribute England Rugby equipment packs, helping more children access rugby for the first time. I’ll also be supporting Portsmouth RFC as they launch their first-ever T1 Megafest event for primary-aged pupils — an exciting new opportunity to celebrate the sport at grassroots level.

Following the tremendous success of last year’s KS3 Girls’ Development Festival — which saw over 300 girls from 15 schools take part — we’re delighted to invite schools to register for the 2025 Festival at Trojans RFC on Friday 14th November.

Looking further ahead, I’m excited to be collaborating with the Hampshire RFU executive team on plans for a county-wide T1 rugby tournament, scheduled for July 2026 — a key milestone in our long-term vision to grow participation and engagement in rugby across Hampshire.

Luke Worthington – School Rugby Manager (Havant, Gosport and Portsmouth)

 

World Cup winning Red Roses visit Hampshire rugby club

World Cup winning Red Roses players will be continuing their celebrations at Trojans Rugby Club in Hampshire as part of a national festival of the women’s game.

Following England clinching the World Cup with a convincing victory over Canada, the Eastleigh based club has been selected to host a visit by Abby Dow and Lucy Packer.

The event is part of the RugbyFest initiative, a nationwide celebration of rugby designed to inspire the next generation of players by building on the national team’s success.

With over 140 girls across four age groups and a further two senior women’s teams, Trojans is proud to be one of the largest and most inclusive female rugby sections in the region.

Girls from the club will be joining the England players for some craft activities, a mass warm up before taking part in a festival at the Stoneham Lane ground on Saturday, 4 October.

Chair Stefan Hargrave said:

“The Red Roses haven’t just inspired young players—they’ve inspired a nation and we can’t wait to host Abby and Lucy at our RugyFest this weekend.

“Many of our girls were among the crowds cheering them on through their World Cup winning campaign, so to have these players come to the club they play for will be beyond exciting for them.

“It will be a day to remember for our club and an inspiring experience for the next generation of Red Roses!”.

School Rugby Manager Update – September 2025

Early successes and building new relationships.

It has been just three weeks since I began my role as School Rugby Manager, but already it has been a rewarding and energetic start.
I have helped to launch new T1 and contact rugby programmes at both Bridgemary School in Gosport and Miltoncross School in Portsmouth, giving more young people the chance to experience the game. I have also started engaging with the youth leadership teams at local clubs, including Gosport and Fareham, and with the leadership at CM Sports, who are working to expand girls’ rugby opportunities across primary schools in the region.

Collaboration has also begun with local School Games Organisers to explore ways of identifying ‘champion’ primary schools in each area and to ensure school staff can access the latest rugby coaching CPD opportunities. On 17th September, I attended the national SRM induction day at Sixways Stadium, where I took part in T1 orientation training with England Rugby.

Looking further ahead, I am excited to be working with the Hampshire RFU executive team on the concept for a new county-wide T1 rugby tournament, scheduled to take place in Summer Term 2026.

Over the coming weeks, I am looking forward to continuing to support schools and clubs by delivering T1 orientation training for staff and coaches. Building on the momentum of the Red Roses, I am also preparing to support an exciting programme of girls’ rugby festivals in October, hosted at Havant RFC and Trojans RFC.

Find out more about my work on our School Rugby page.

Luke Worthington
School Rugby Manager for Portsmouth, Gosport and Havant

 

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.

Latest News

Events

Vacancies