Women's Rugby Team
First Place- BUCS Midlands 1A 2008-9
Double Victory- 2009 Varsity Match
Over winter break, the Cambridge women's rugby team took part in an intensive training camp at the London Wasps training ground, setting them up for continued success in the months to come. In a session led by Wasps coach Shaun Edwards, the girls honed their tackling skills and were given tips on setting up around the rucks. "A good team is just as eager in defense as they are on offense," said Shaun. "Want the contact." Good advice! A big thank you should be paid to Gloria Sennitt and Andy Ireland for helping make that session possible. The girls look forward to putting what they learned in training camp into practice this upcoming season.***
At Cambridge University Women's Rugby Football Club we have members ranging in experience from complete beginners to "elderly" veterans, having played rugby before university or just from having been here forever!
Women's rugby is an ever-growing sport, and is continually gaining in recognition. The aim of the club is to both promote the sport and provide a great opportunity for beginners—and of course to have fun whilst we do these things!
The dedication of our players and two excellent coaches allows us to play in both the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) national league as well as the RFU Women's League. We also play an annual Varsity match against Oxford University which alternates in location between Cambridge and Oxford.
If you are interested in joining our team, check out some more information here or email our captain, Talia, if you have any questions. No previous experience necessary, only keenness!
Latest News:
7.2.2010: The Cambridge rugby girls came out on top again yesterday after a hard and fast game vs Nottingham 2's. With an early try from Captain #8, Talia Gershon, the girls set the tone that would stay with them throughout the duration of the match. Several more tries followed in close succession, with a majority of them coming from #13, Laura Britton. Her hard runs and good lines were unstoppable, as the Notts team admitted to themselves after each try she scored (totalling 7) ("...Well, let's forget about that one, that was just their # 13 again..."). #10 Kellie Preston had another great game yesterday, calling good moves and shipping the ball wide effectively, but sending the backs back inside when opportunities presented themselves. Sammy Graham's calm and collected passing from scrum half helped the backs create good opportunities to run set-pieces, and her good decision-making resulted in a try of her own. The forwards were relentless in their rucking and aggression around the cotact, which helped Cambridge maintain more than 90% of possession and also resulted in a try from #1 Skylar Neil. Second half scrum half, Bob Turner, also claimed a try for herself towards the end of the second half by driving the ball over the line after a successful ruck. And, with a flash of inspiration, winger Viki McEvoy sprinted her way through a gap and touched down another try for Cambridge.***
3.2.2010: The Cambridge rugby ladies pulled off another good win today under muddy and rainy conditions, having traveled away with only 1 sub and having a majority of players playing out of position. The dominance of the pack was clear -- not only did Cambridge win all of their own ball, but several scrums were turned over despite blatant feeding from Warwick, who shamelesslly rolled the ball back through the legs of the second row. With ball in hand, the Cambridge forwards made good ground by picking-and-going, and powering through the opposition. Kellie Preston, playing at 10 for the first time, made great decisions and kept the ball moving, often putting centers Kate Robson and Rachel Thompson through some good gaps. Real physicality from the light Blues kept Warwick on the back foot, giving Cambridge over 90% of possession throughout the first half. Three tries were scored that half. One was from Captain #8, Talia Gershon, which was brought over the line after quick ball was created in a maul by #9 Anne Venner. Another try was scored under the posts by #12 Kate Robson, who broke through two girls who tried to tackle her simultaneously. The third try was scored by #13 Rachel Thompson, whose quick run down the wing was too much for the Warwick winger to handle. The second half was a bit slower for the light Blues. Taking advice from their coach, the girls tried out some new plays, running a lot more moves in the backs, but without giving the girls enough time to reset before each play. While no tries were scored in the second half, it should be noted that the Cambridge side have still maintained their excellent defense, making it impossible for their opposition to break through them. All in all, another good win for the light Blues.***
28.1.2010: Yesterday the Cambridge Blues took on one of their toughest opponents yet. Having just come down from the Premiership this season, Birmingham Uni stepped onto the pitch with a high level of physicality and ready for a hard match. A couple of good overloads on the wing and good decision-making from the Cambridge backs gave way to two early tries for Cambridge winger, #11 Hazel Chimer, each of which made Birmingham come back with yet more intensity. A solid Birmingham defensive line made set pieces difficult for the backs, as the defending line was full of forwards. Some strong picking-and-going from the Cambridge pack successfully drew these girls in to create more opportunities for the backs to run some moves. Messy conditions made it even more difficult for the Blues to maintain control of the game, but with nearly all of the possession in the first half, the Blues managed to score two more tries, one from captain, #4 Talia Gershon, off the side of a ruck, and one from #10, Anne Venner, who beautifully ran through a gap in the defensive line only 10 meters out from the try zone. The second half was more difficult for the Blues. The defending from Birmingham was relentless, and both sides were working extremely hard. One final try was scored by Cambridge #3, Claire Byrne, from a pick around the side of a ruck. The sheer effort and intensity on the pitch today made this game close and exciting. This win was one of the hardest of the season for the Blues, but surely one of the most rewarding. 2 of the tries were converted by #15, Kate Robson, whose cover tackles saved the team from several breakaway runs.***
24.1.2010: After a long break from rugby, the Cambridge Blues came back today with a massive win in their RFUW league. The match began with the whole team buzzing in anticipation of some hard play and big aggression. Within the first ten minutes, inside center Daisy Iredale claimed two tries for herself, one coming from a brilliant interception of a ball from the Shelford 10, and the other of which resulted from her strength and speed. She also had two more tries today, in addition to three from outside center Laura Britton. In fact, all of the Cambridge backs were on form today, running excellent set pieces and making great decisions, with every one of them making it through some great gaps. Dominating the scrums, the Cambridge forwards maintained good ball, and even won several scrums against the head. Cool, calm, and collected rucking allowed the Cambridge forwards to slow the ball down and punch up around the rucks. One try was scored by each of the second row players, Lucy Chumas and Lou Anning. The defensive line was relentless and as the game went on the fitness and stamina exhibited by the Cambridge girls was a clear asset. All in all, a performance to be proud of!***
22.1.2010: We will be holding another Development Day in order to recruit new players to the team! This will be a skills-oriented session for both novice and advanced players and a great opportunity to meet everybody! This event will take place on January 23rd from 12-2 on the Grange Road practice pitches.
After several disappointing postponements due to inclement weather, CUWRFC will be playing their first match of this term against Shelford Ladies at home this Sunday, January 24. The match will take place at Fitz Pitches and kick-off is at 2 PM. Come out and support the team!***
4.12.2009: In their final RFUW match of the season, the Cambridge ladies put in an outstanding win, 26-0, to maintain their place at the top of the league table. Harder, faster, and more mentally prepared than their opponents, Cambridge came out strong straight from the kickoff, putting pressure on Stoneygate that did not relent for the duration of the match. With 2 successful penalty kicks in the first 10 minutes from #15, Kate Robson, Cambridge was off to a 6-0 lead that would only grow over time. In attack, the girls were relentless, with hard runs from the forwards, and great support, and quick ball with good lines from the backs. While Stoneygate's defense was difficult to break through, the backs scored a brilliant try at the end of the first half by swinging around to the blind side of a scrum and running in support of one another. The Cambridge defense was impenetrable, with the girls defending 5 meters from their own try line for about 5-10 minutes, but in the end the ball was cleared and Stoneygate lost one of very few attacking opportunities. With most of the possession, Cambridge was in control of the game, trying to keep the pace high despite a good deal of injury stoppage from the other team. A second try was scored by #12, Lauren "Daisy" Iredale, as she broke through the Stoneygate line and wrestled her way to her second try of the season.
Wednesday marked the conclusion of this term's BUCS matches for the Cambridge women's rugby team, and they came out with another solid win, 49-0, having still not conceded any points in this league. The match began with a brilliant try scored in the first minute by full back Hazel Nutt, with a run down the wing. The following minute, a girl from the Nottingham side (with a history of epilepsy) went down with a head injury and had to be helicopter-ambulanced off the pitch, causing a 40 minute delay in play. Once play resumed, it was clear that the Nottingham 1's had a strong pack and that the Cambridge advantage was in the backs, and some beautiful lines were cut by both centers, Kate Robson and Rachel Thompson, as well as by Nutt. Shortened halves (due to light constraints) meant the light blues had little time to spare and hard runs from everyone resulted in such a convincing victory. A second try was scored by Nutt, as well as 2 by Rachel Thompson, 2 by Sammy Graham playing at flanker, 1 by scrum half Bob Turner, and 1 by Kate. A penalty kick was also converted by Kate in the first half. Special note should be made to the fact that a very small fraction of the forwards were playing in position yesterday. To come away with such a convincing win, having so many forwards (and backs!) out of position is truly a big accomplishment.***
23.11.2009: The Cambridge ladies clinched another big victory in their RFUW league today, bringing them to the top spot on the league table for the first time this season. Coming out strong straight from the kickoff, the Blues were on the offensive all game long, keeping the pace of the game high and giving Old Leams very little time on the ball. Despite the messy conditions, the handling in the backs was consistent throughout, and the support both in the centers and on the wings created ample try-scoring opportunities. Many of these tries came after brilliant recycling and passing between 3 to 5 of the members of the back line. The forwards arrived at the breakdowns quickly and shut down runs from the Old Leams forwards at every turn. Through aggressive rucking the forwards created solid platforms from which the backs were able to run the ball at Old Leams, choosing good lines and running into space. The forwards were relentless in their attacks off the sides of rucks, running hard and low and driving the Leams pack backwards. Going in pairs or 3's, Cambridge maintained posession and secured the ball to set up for the next phases. With a good eye for the game, #10, Anne Venner, strategically kicked the ball past the opposing line, gaining ground for the fitter Cambridge side. Big pressure from the whole line and particularly #11, Pinkie Binning, stopped Old Leams from running or kicking it back at them. Special note should be paid to today's try-scorers: #12 Daisy Iredale, #11 Pinkie Binning, #10 Anne Venner, #6 Frank Cordon, #1 Skylar Neil, and #2 Claire Byrne. The diversity in positions of try-scorers represents what a team-win today represented. 3 conversions and a penalty kick were scored by #15, Kate Robson.***
18.11.2009: Today marked another big win for the Blues women's rugby team against the team ranked #3 in their university league. Just minutes into the game, a panicked Warwick side inadvertently allowed a missed pass to land in their try zone, leading to the first try of the game from #8, Captain Talia Gershon. Building up the momentum during the course of the first half, another two tries were scored before half time by #13, Kate Robson, and #11, Hazel Nutt. These two versatile players made their mark in any number of positions played today: 12, 13, and 15 for Robson, and 11, 15, and 9 for Nutt. By the end of the first half, the pressure from the entire back line and the aggressive rucking coming from the forwards meant that Warwick had little opportunity to work in attack. In the second half, Cambridge really found their stride, upping their levels of aggression and keeping the opposition on the back foot. Brilliant counter-rucking and pressure on the Warwick 10 kept most of the possession in Cambridge hands. The second half saw another 3 tries by Nutt, one of which was a quick tap taken by her on the 22, which she then scored herself in the corner. A total of 4 conversions (3 from Robson, 1 from Nutt) brought the final score to 38-0. A special mention should go to flanker Naia Bazin for a brilliant performance in the back row as well as to #10, Anne Venner, awarded man-of-the-match for a third week running by the opposition.***
12.11.2009: Off to a bit of a slow start, the Blues faced an opponent whose commitment and drive didn't stop throughout the game. Some hard runs, especially from a strong and fast winger, were stopped in their tracks thanks to some great cover tackles from Kate, Pinkie, Frank, and Jenny. Building up as the match progressed, the Blues rose to the challenge of a team that wouldn't go down without a fight and built up the aggression levels and the energy. By the end of the second half, the Cambridge performance had improved massively, as is illustrated by the final result.***
8.11.2009: In one of the hardest matches the Cambridge ladies have faced so far, the girls managed to pull out a 20-10 victory over a highly experienced and very physical Shelford ladies side. An early try from Shelford was quickly returned with one from outside center, Laura Britton. After a significant period of hard runs, hard hits, hard rucks, and aggressive play from both sides, Cambridge managed to score another try from Laura as well as penalty kicks from fullback, Kate Robson, who also converted both tries. Despite a size and weight disadvantage, the Cambridge forwards held their own in the scrums, in many cases stealing Shelford ball via aggressive hooking from #2, Claire Byrne. Some brilliant lines from both sides illustrated how tight a contest it was between the two sides. With ball in hand, both teams were working hard. In the very last play of the game (55 minutes into the second half, and with both sides exhausted), Shelford managed to sneak in a second try on the wing. But the Cambridge mental toughness and sheer desire to win helped them finish with a convincing victory. Special congratulations should be paid to #10, Anne Venner, awarded back of the match from both teams, for her good decision making, kicking, and ball distribution. It was another brilliant day for the Blues.***
5.11.2009: Another big win yesterday for Cambridge women's rugby. With the first try coming just after kickoff from # 8 Talia Gershon, Cambridge set the tone that would stay with them for the rest of the match. Another few quick tries from # 9 Sammy Graham and # 13 Rachel Thompson put Cambridge in a comfortable lead. As more points were scored against them, Bedford continued to increase their aggression, at first offering some strong runs and near overloads on the wing. However, another few tries from Rachel Thompson, #10 Anne Venner, and # 14 Helen "Squirrel" Bellfield kept them on the back foot. Bedford's aggression spiraled out of control when their captain was sin binned after attempting to hit # 15 Kate Robson. This was immediately followed by 2 tries from Kate, as well as 2 more from # 12 Laura Britton. All in all, a convincing win against an overly aggressive Bedford side.***
29.10.2009: Another big performance yesterday from the Cambridge women's rugby team has placed them at the top of their BUCS league in points-for, with a significant advantage after only 2 matches. The match started off slowly, with the Cambridge team picking up momentum as the game progressed. Some beautiful offloads, quick ball, and runs down the wing put a few tries on the board by the end of the first half. In the second half, the girls picked up even more momentum, with 4 more tries coming in the last 10 minutes. Try scorers include Kate Robson (4), Helen "Squirrel" Bellfield (3), Rachel Thompson (2), Lucy Hartwell, Jo Bradley, and Talia Gershon. 2 penalties were also converted by Squirrel Bellfield.
**NOTE** Our next game will be played at home on Wednesday, 4 November, against University of Bedfordshire on the main pitch at Grange Road. Kick-off is at 2 PM.***
25.10.2009: In their third RFUW match of the season, Cambridge came out strong against a much bigger and more experienced Nottingham Ladies side. With the forwards having a significant weight disadvantage, it was clear that Cambridge had to capitalize on its speed and skill in the back line. With some aggressive rucking by the forwards, Cambridge managed to secure good ball for the backs, with our first try coming in the first 10 minutes of the match from number 10, Anne Venner. Despite the size disadvantage, Cambridge held their own in the scrums, and even, on occasion, stole some of Nottingham's ball thanks to the aggressive hooking of Katie Pearcey. Another try was scored by Laura Britton thanks to some excellent lines, good support, and great communication. After a series of forwards drives from Nottingham, their larger pack was finally able to put a score on the board, highlighting the need to keep their strongest players from gaining momentum. A brilliant offload was received by number 8, Lucy Hartwell, who sprinted into the try zone, handing off one of the opposition. After a lucky break by the Nottingham captain, which put a second score on the board for them, Cambridge finished off the game with a final try by Kate Robson, who also scored a penalty kick and two conversions, giving Cambridge a victory of 27-10.***
21.10.2009: Cambridge WRFC played Nottingham Uni 1sts, with a team comprising of both experienced and new players. Having won the league last year with Nottingham coming second, CUWRFC went into the game expecting a tough and fast match with more speed than their usual Sunday league RFUW games. The match began with a positive kick into the back corner, with the motivation of a captain's pint for a try in the first 10 minutes! Following a penalty score, the tries kept coming. Despite the wet conditions, the ball was effectively spun out wide with the majority of tries coming from the backs finding holes through the opposing defensive line. Special mention goes to the two starting centres, Laura Britton and Rachel Thompson, who scored 7 of the 13 tries in total. Cambridge found themselves in possession of the ball for the vast majority of the game, using the opportunity to try out some new set plays in the forwards and the backs. We look for this success to set the standard of our BUCS league and as a great boost for the new players. The match also illuminated areas for improvement to allow us to compete in the more physical and superior Sunday RFUW league, and in the annual Varsity match in March. Check out the rest of our website for our schedule of home games, played at Fitz's pitches at Oxford Rd.***
12.10.2009: Over the course of less than three weeks, the Cambridge ladies have vastly improved their game, posting both a loss and a win. Having been promoted in their RFUW league over the summer, they have already faced two formidable opponents, one new and one familiar.
On 4 October, after a mere four days of practice, Cambridge suffered a difficult loss to a stronger and more experienced Lichfield 2nds side. The ladies held their own in the first half, coming out on top 7-5 by halftime after a try by Sarah "Pinkie" Binning and conversion by Kate Robson. However, in the second half, Lichfield capitalised on holes in the Cambridge defense and were relentless in their offensive plays, deteriorating Cambridge's mental discipline and eventually putting 38 points on the board for a final score of 43-7.
On 11 October, in a rematch of last year's opening game, Cambridge travelled to play Moseley, the 2008-9 NC Midlands 1 champions. Determined not to repeat the previous week's mistakes, Cambridge came out strong from the kick-off, putting in some big defensive tackles and rucking aggressively against a much larger Moseley side. Our first try was scored by Rici Marshall after trick penalty play by Anne Venner and a series of great rucks by the entire team, with the conversion made by Kate Robson. Cambridge maintained possession throughout most of the first half, despite a lucky interception and return by the Moseley fullback. Cambridge's enthusiasm during the game was reflected in the amazing blockage by Rachel Thompson of Moseley's conversion kick. In the second half, Cambridge maintained their pressure on Moseley, and our backs continually put their defense on the back foot, finally capitalising with a try by Laura Britton. Moseley upped the physicality of their game in the final minutes of the second half and took advantage of a tired Cambridge defense to score one more unconverted try, making the final score 12-10 in Cambridge's favor.***
6.10.2009: Please note, Development Day will be held from 12-2, not 10-12 as previously advertised on this page. It will still be held on October 10th at Jesus College.***
10.9.2009: Practices this year will be held on Tuesday 5-7pm and Friday 6-8pm at the Grange Road Practice Pitches. Beginning October 16th, there will be an additional fitness session on Fridays at 7:30am held at Fenner's PE Centre.***
17.8.2009: For those interested in joining the team this year, we will have a table at the Fresher's Fair on October 6th-7th where we can answer any questions you have about the team and add you to our mailing list!
We will also be holding a Development Day in order to recruit new players to the team! This will be a skills-oriented session for both novice and advanced players and a great opportunity to meet everybody! This event will take place on October 10th from 12-2 on the Jesus College pitches.
Our pre-season will begin on September 30th in preparation for our first home game. For more information on this, see the Training page.***
26.6.2009: Our first home game will be played on October 4th against Lichfield 2nds, time and location TBA.
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