It was a happy St David’s Day in Penallta on Saturday as South Wales Jets launched their first ever U14 girls side.
The Jets U12s last year had great success fielding both boys and girls in their side, but when children turn 12, they need to play in sides of their own birth gender, so having U14s girls sides in Wales is a must.
We’re proud to be the first off the mark and on Saturday, we welcomed 30 girls, with the promise of more to come, to our first ever U14 girls session.
Held by newly appointed Jets coaches, the Cardiff Demons and Wales internationals Amberley Ruck and Ffion Jenkins, the phenomenal turnout showed the appetite for girls rugby league is very much alive and kicking.
Jenkins said: “It was a really good day, and to have a turn out of over 30 girls was incredible. To see the growth of the game in Wales and to see these girls enjoying rugby league and to give them the opportunity and pathway to pursue rugby league is amazing.”
Jets’ chairman Liam Price added: “It was an amazing day. I couldn’t believe the turn-out. The girls were literally queuing out of the door to register. We had a pre-session meeting and had booked the small room at Penallta, but we we had to move from the small room in the club into the main hall.
“There’s a big appetite for the girls game in Wales. Our women have qualified for the World Cup and we need to get the young players coming through the system for future years.
“My hope now is two or three other clubs launch girls sides by the summer so we can have some kind of league, it would be great if this could happen.”