Sarries Womens News

Girls Section - News

(13/07/10)
Devon Games To Inspire 2010 - Girls Tag Rugby

Seven Saracens players were involved in this years games which were held at Tavistock on saturday 10th July. Corinne Walsh captained the team, Kayley Pyatt, Gabi Loram, Shannon Panton, Emma Wakeley, Cleo Dimoline and Poppy Leitch all played a full part on the day which saw the team come second in their group and go through to the 3rd/4th playoff which they lost by one try.
The Sarries connection didn't end with the players as the tag squad was also coached and managed by Dave Turner, Lucy Sambell and Jennie Hamer. The squad trained at Sarries and played some games against a team of Saracens girls that were ineligible for tag rugby at the games. While all the team were already very good tag players the training was very important as the game had been modified for this year with an increase in playing numbers from 7 up to 10 and the introduction of unopposed scrums and line outs. The girls quickly picked up the new aspects of the game and went on to play some very good rugby on the day, they were very unlucky to not to finish with a medal.

Results

Pool Games
Exeter 7 North Devon 2
Exeter 7 Mid Devon 10
Exeter 10 South Hams 6

3rd/4th play off
Exeter 8 West Devon 9

The final was contested by East Devon and Mid Devon with the gold going to East Devon

(15/06/10)
Saracens Girls - End Of Season Awards

Exeter Saracens Girls Rugby section held their annual end of season awards presentation at their Whipton club house on saturday 12th June. In a season that was plagued by bad weather the two age groups still managed to play a lot of rugby by playing their rugby on local school pitches and using school all weather surfaces for training. Player numbers increased over the season and next season looks like being an all time high with around 18 - 20 players in each age group.
Highlights of the u15's season were winning the plate competition at the Gloucester City 10's, runners up at the Cornwall 7's and reaching the quarter finals at the National 7's.
The u18's won the Cornwall 7's and also reached the last eight at the National 7's.
Both age groups had good representation in the Devon county squad with Lucy Nye, Beth Griffiths and Sian Rees progressing to the SW(S) u15 regional squad and Mica Evans, Jordan Crook and Holly Beaven doing likewise for in the U18 squad.

This years awards went to the following players:-

Under 15's

Top Try Scorer - 2009/10	Lucy Nye (21 Tries)
Most Improved Player - 2009/10	Molly Tregedeon
Player Of The Year - 2009/10	Bethany Griffiths
Players Player - 2009/10	Amy Large

Under 18's

Top Try Scorer - 2009/10	Jordan Crook (8 Tries)
Most Improved Player - 2009/10	Emma Hellier
Player Of The Year - 2009/10	Mica Evans
Players Player - 2009/10	Emma Hellier

Sarries are looking forward to the new season and hope to open their next campaign by attending the final of the Womens Rugby World Cup on September 5th. Next season also sees both age groups playing in a league for the first time and a reorganisation of representative rugby with Regional rugby giving way to Divisonal rugby. Next seaso will also be a minor milestone for the girls section as it will be the sections 5th full season of running both age groups.

Picture - Saracens u18's celebrate their acheivemants at the clubs end of season awards night.

(21/02/10)
Saracens Girls - Half Term Coaching Sessions with The Chiefs

Exeter Chiefs hosted an afternoons coaching session specifically for rugby clubs with girls teams. The afternoon was a great success with forty players braving the elements to run through some drills and conditioned games under the expert eyes of some of the Chiefs players who are also qualified RFU coaches. With girls aged between 12 and 18 attending they worked in their u15 and u18 age groups and worked on all sorts of skills from basic handling and decision making to lineout lifting for the older age group.A dozen girls from Sarries went along and joined in the fun other clubs attending on the day were Cullompton, Exmouth, Newton Abbot and then from further afield Plymouth Albion and Newquay. All the girls had a great afternoon and enjoyed meeting up with players from other clubs and being coached by proffessional players. Chiefs have hosted all girl training sessions on several occassions over the last few seasons and clubs would like to thank them for their continued support for the girls game.

(06/02/10)
Saracens Girls Make SWS Regional Squad

Several players from Exeter Saracens girls rugby section have been selected for this seasons SouthWest South Regional Squad following trials which were held at Plymstock Albion last sunday. Sarries skipper and scrum half Beth Griffiths, prop Sian Rees and flying winger Lucy Nye have been selected for the u15 squad. Scrum half Kat Connabeer, No8 Jordan Crook, prop Mica Evans and winger Holly Beavan who is also captain at the club have all been selected for the u18 squad. Mica Evans has also been selected for the England Colleges squad.

The SWS region is made up of players who have represented Devon, Cornwall and Somerset at county level. The squad will now train together and play two warm up matches in preparation for the RFUW regional festival on Aprill 11th which will bring together all the regions for a day long tournament.

(14/12/09)
Sarries U15's Devon News / Regional Selection

Following trials at the end of September several Sarries girls have been training hard with the county squad and have shown up well with some good play and getting their names on the scoresheet.
In Devon's 34 - 0 victory over Cornwall Beth Griffiths, Lucy Nye, Sian Rees, Megan Coombes, Paige Palmer and Amy Large all featured with Beth scoring a hatrick of tries and Sian Rees also touching down.
Devon lost a close encounter with Dorset & Wilts 8 - 5. Beth, Lucy and Amy all featured again along with Courtney Patterson. Lucy scored Devon's try after being set up by Beth.
Unfortunately the game against Somerset was lost to the bad weather but it may be rescheduled for some time in January.

Lucy and Beth have now been put forward for regional trials which will take place on January 17th.

Amy Large & Beth Griffiths

Devon u15's that played against Cornwall at Newquay

(30/09/09)
Sarries Devon Delights

Following the county trials that took place at Cullompton RFC on Sunday 27th September the following Saracens girls have been selected for the Devon squads this season.

Under 15's
Megan Coombes, Sian Rees, Amy Large, Beth Griffiths, Lucy Nye, Paige Palmer, Courtney Patterson

Under 18's
Holly Beaven, Alice Holden, Mica Evans, Charlotte Day, Jane Westcott, Lauren Bartlett, Steph Papp, Sophie Staniforth, Carey Wellby, Jordan Crook, Fran Strong. Jennie Hamer is also involve with the squad and hopes to be able to play some part in procedings once she recovers from her broken wrist.

Well done to all concerned as once again Sarries becomes a major provider for the county sides. It is hoped that the girls will work hard at the training sessions with aim of making it through to the matchday squads. This season Devon have fixtures on the following dates:- Sunday 8th Nov. Cornwall away at Newquay, Sunday 22nd Nov.Dorset & Wiltshire home at Cullompton and Sunday 6th Dec.Somerset away venue to be announced.

(29/07/09)
Sarries Girls In 'Chiefs Clothing'

On Saturday 25th July a small group of girls from Sarries were invited over to Sandy Park to take part in a training session with a slight difference. Former Chiefs head coach Peter Drewett has been rewriting one of his coaching manuals and needed some "models" to pose for photographs to help explain and demonstrate some of the points made in the book. The girls were not alone as older boys from the Chiefs and Hartpury College rugby academies were also taking part.
To help with the continiuty of the book all the players were asked to wear last seasons Chiefs first team kit. As you can imagine it was a challenge to find kit small enough to fit the girls but they did manage to sort something out for them. The girls all had great fun and are looking forward to signing copies of the book when it gets published.
It was also agreed that they all look much smarter in their own Red and White Sarries shirts !!!

(27/07/09)
Exeter Saracens Garnet Is A Winner With England U20's

Garnet MacKinder won three England U20's caps in the Nations Cup tournament that was played at Brunel University in early July. Although she has been involved with the England squad for several months Garnet admitted that she was surprised to find herself starting on the wing against Canada as she was one of the youngest players in the squad and still playing U18's rugby while the majority of her colleagues were playing senior womens rugby. She played for sixty minutes of that game before being replaced as England ran out comfortable winners, 47 - 0.
Her second game was against Wales and she played the whole game with England once again winning 29 - 3. She was rested for the pool game against the USA as the coaches rotated the squad to ensure everyone got a good balance of game time and rest. Garnet was picked on the bench for the final against the USA and with England dominating their oponents she came on for the last thirty minutes and scored a try as England crushed the USA 110 - 0 to win the Nations Cup for the second year running.
Asked about her experience Garnet said "Overall I think I played well and definitely improved throughout the tournament. I really enjoyed it, it was a brilliant experience" Garnet is now leaving the club as she moves on to continue her studies at Birmingham University.

Garnet MacKinder with ball in hand on International Duty

(01/06/09)
Exeter Saracens Girls Award Presentations 2009

A long season finally came to an end on saturday night when Sarries girls section held their annual awards party night. The awards were presented by Saracens 1st XV captain Martyn Dibble.There were some very difficult decisions to be made as many players were deserving of awards this season but they went to:-

Under 15's

Top Try Scorer - 08/09	Lucy Nye (32 Tries)
Most Improved Player - 08/09	Abbie Fleming
Player Of The Year - 08/09	Lucy Smith
Players Player - 08/09	Bethany Griffiths

Under 18's

Top Try Scorer - 08/09	Garnet Mackinder (20 Tries)
Most Improved Player - 08/09	Jordan Crook
Player Of The Year - 08/09	Lauren Bartlett
Players Player - 08/09	Amy Alford

There were also awards to Caitlin Short, Garnet Mackinder and Amy Alford who are leaving the club as they are now too old for junior rugby. Caitlin Short was the last of the original players from when the girls section first got off the ground in 2004.

The season has been another succesful one for the girls with lots of games of rugby played and to a reasonable standard aswell. Numbers have increased again and next season should be the first when the section will be able to field a full team at both u15 and u18 level. The club has continued to provide a good number of players at both county and regional level for both age groups and with the u20's Nations Cup coming up in July everyone is keeping their fingers crossed for Garnet Mackinder to win an England cap during the tournament.

Sarries will be running a girls tag rugby course over the summer holidays with a view to recruiting new players and will welcome any one who would like to give rugby try when the new season kicks off in September especially any girls who have played rugby previously as u12's where the RFU rules allow boys and girls to still play in the same team. For more information please contact coach Dave Turner on 01392 677425

U15's celebrate at their end of season awards night

U18's in party mood

(23/05/09)
Exeter Saracens Girls Finish 08/09 Season Battling
(Nation7's Competition)

Exeter Saracens girls squad gave a very creditable performance at this years end of season festival but couldn't quite reach the heights of last season when the u18's won the event and the u15's were runners up. The competition especialy in the u18 group was very intense with several teams showing marked improvements from last year.The high standards of fitness and skill on display showed that girls rugby is taking huge steps forward year on year. Sarries senior squad played some excellent rugby and reached the semi final of the cup competition while the u15's made it to the final of the plate before losing to a try in the final minute of the game.

Exeter Saracens U15's/U18's Girls with coach Dave Turner

(05/04/09)
Exeter Saracens U18's Girls With Delon Armitage

Sarries u18's had a pleasant suprise when the arrived at Reading RFC for the National Cup as they spotted a familiar face in the crowd who had been watching an earlier game, none other than current England full back Delon Armitage. There was a rush for pens and cameras as the London Irish player agreed to pose with the players for pictures and sign autographs. It got the afternoon of to a good start and helped ease the pain of the two defeats that were to follow.

Sarries u18s Girls with Delon Armitage

(23/03/09)
Exeter Saracens Girls Cheer England to Historic 6 Nations Victory

Players from Exeter Saracens girls rugby squad travelled to Old Deer Park, home of London Welsh RFC to watch England's women take on Scotland in the final round of this years womens 6 nations championship. They were treated to an afternoon of amazing rugby as the England ladies crushed Scotland 72-3 to win the championship for a record breaking fourth year in a row. A full match report can be found on www.rfu.com/women

For many of the Saracens girls it was an inspirational day as not only did they see the best female players in the country produce some stunning rugby with lots of tries they actually got to meet and talk to the players afterwards. As the squad headed out of London for the trip home and passed the magnificent sight of the Twickenham stadium where England men were beating Scotland but not quite so emphatically, there were many on the bus who thought that the womens side deserve the opportunity to play on the bigger stage.

Sarries hope to make another 6 nations trip next season and also to get to see England in action in the Womens Rugby World Cup which is taking place in England next year, there is already talk of a trip to se the world cup final.

Picture - Sarries girls with England winger and try scorer Fiona Pocock who is holding the 6 Nations Trophy

(09/11/08)
Exeter Saracens Girls Selected for Regional Squad

Following trials at Plymstock RFC last week a number of players from Saracens girl's section have been selected for the South West(South) regional squads. The South West(South) Region is made up from players who represented Devon, Cornwall and Somerset at county level in the girls county programme which ran between October and December. The regional squad will now embark on a training programme which will involve two games against other regions and culminate in the regional festival in March when all the regions get together to play in a tournament.

Representing Saracens are Caitlin Short, Garnet Mackinder, Amy Alford, Jordan Crook, Holly Beaven, Mica Evans, Kat Connabeer, Jane Wescott, all under 18's and Sophie Reed and Stephanie Papp both under 15's.

Although the regional programme takes a large number of players away from their clubs, club rugby will continue with teams getting together to play in mini festivals and three way fixtures where teams can mix together to ensure that all those not involved in the regional programme can still play meaningful rugby.