How a girls’ rugby team inspired play off the pitch
to enrol any Asian girls to play rugby, but Kevin and the Under 16s girls’ coach Craig Taylor believe it’s only a matter of time.
Craig, whose daughters Millie, 16, and Mya, 14, both play rugby, has been coaching the team for five years, during which time the girls have won the English championship twice and at club level remained undefeated for four years. “They are a pretty special team,” says Craig. “For a group of girls who have all the problems and issues of growing up in this area, to go to Australia was a massive achievement.
“Here, rugby league is not a mainstream sport, but out there in Australia rugby league is a religion. It was a great experience for them.”
Without Craig there would be no team. He took on the challenge when Millie, and his niece Casey Rhodes, who were playing junior mixed rugby, said they’d like to continue. Today the girls play in both the Under 16s and women’s teams.
Women’s rugby league is growing in popularity and Craig is convinced that it won’t be long before there are professional women’s teams in the UK. He explained: “Next year it’s going full time professional in Australia and we will follow suit. These girls want to go all the way, they are very dedicated players. If they were boys they would have been snapped up by a professional team by now.”
He’s ambitious for his girls’ team and last year visited Pakistan to see how the game is played there by young women. He’s keen to promote girls’ rugby league in the Batley area’s Asian community and believes there could be plenty of young Iffys waiting in the wings. But he accepts there are cultural barriers. He said: “As a sport we are missing on a group of players and it’s difficult to know how to break down the barriers, but I think it will happen eventually.”
The girls themselves are ambassadors for the sport and next year will be winging their way to Pakistan on another foreign tour. As Casey says: “Since I was little I have always wanted to be in a women’s Super League. It’s started off small, but it’s turning into something proper now.”
They’re fiercely loyal to rugby league and aware of its historic connections to West Yorkshire. “We’ve all had offers to play union,” says player Ellie Oldroyd, “but we like league.”
Off the pitch the girls say they’re often described as “too girly” to be playing a rough, tough contact sport. But they see it as a stress buster. And, as Casey added: “It’s about the opportunities we have now as well.”
When the curtain rises on The Ruck on September 15 the entire team, as well as family and friends, will be in the audience. “We’re really looking forward to it,” says player Lily Clark. And while they’ve all heard a reading of an earlier script, there are sure to be some surprises in store - just like in real life and on the pitch.
The Ruck (named after a term used in both rugby league and union), is directed by Joyce Branagh, who directed the Lawrence Batley Theatre’s first professional pantomime in 2016. It will make a short tour of Northern theatres after premiering at the LBT. Tickets for performances on September 15 and 16 in Huddersfield are £8 to £16 from thelbt.org.uk or 01484 430528.