Worthing College Girls Rugby Team take part in memorable Twickenham final

The team travelled to the stadium on March 19 to take part in the ACE Girls League Final against Hartpury College from Gloucestershire as part of the Continental Tyres Schools Cup Finals Day.

Cheered on by a large crowd in a stadium bathed in glorious spring sunshine, the team played its part in a memorable match which their opponents won 43-5.

They fought right to the end and got their just rewards by scoring a try in the second half getting huge applause from the Worthing College supporters.

And the team’s fighting spirit impressed head coach defence/forwards, Kate Yeomans, who said: “We knew this was going to be a tough game that we were going to need a lot of fight, and something we said at that end talk there, was that second half, that fight was really there.

“We brought it back up and it can be so easy to look at that scoreline and say it’s an easy game. But I think we can all say that they completely put their hearts on the line and their bodies on the line for that game as well. So, really proud of what the girls have done.”

Mark Rugman, Director of Rugby, said how proud he was of the team: “We set our goal at the start of the year to finish in the top three. So, to finish in the top two is even greater.

“We’ve always been sort of close, we’ve always been sort of knocking at the door. But we’ve progressively got better, and better and better. We finished fourth last year, the year before that, fifth. So, to finish second, I’m immensely proud of the players.

“Being at the home of English Rugby is absolutely fantastic and I think it’s a great credit to the organisers and it’s fantastic for the girls game.

“And I remember starting out and we used to have six or seven in a team and we used to play against other colleges like a game of sevens.

“And now we’re playing at the home of rugby at the showcase as the two best under 18s sides in the country. It’s amazing how much it’s grown.”

Worthing College partners with Harlequins Women to deliver an elite rugby programme. Mark said there been 55 students on the programme this year and there is interest from all over the country.

He added: “For me personally, to manage a great coaching team, great support team and have a good bunch of players who have just been absolutely fantastic improving all the time, I am just so proud of it.”

Photo by Paul Elphick

For more information about courses at Worthing College and upcoming events, please visit www.worthing.ac.uk