Girls clinch Sussex title in first season
Building on a successful first season, Haywards Heath & Uckfield U12s continued their form with a 60-20 victory over Worthing to clinch the Sussex league title.
Following wins over Horsham, Hove, Hastings and Pulborough, this was perhaps the strongest performance yet of an enjoyable season that has seen the girls grow and develop.
The team is built around experienced players whose straight running, strong tackling, skilful handling and effective work at the breakdown has built a platform for the large numbers of relative beginners and younger players to thrive.
The match against Worthing saw the welcome return of Marharyta Turenko following injury.
Since being introduced to rugby last season, the Ukrainian has built a reputation as a fearsome tackler and she showed no rustiness, repeatedly stopping Worthing in their tracks and turning the ball over.
There were star displays from centre Chloe Rayner, who scored a hat-trick of tries, and Zoe Piper, with pace, handling skills and well-timed runs from full back.
The girls took control in the early stages, scoring the first of 12 tries direct from receiving the kick-off. Spirited Worthing held their own for long spells and came back strongly in the second half with four tries. However, the result was achieved with room to spare and HeathUckfield finish the season as Sussex champions – an awesome achievement.
A number of the girls followed their league winning performance with an interclub friendly on Saturday as a curtain raiser to the men's first team match, with Uckfield coming out on top seven tries to Heath’s four.
The match was an excellent showcase for girls rugby and a celebration of the ongoing partnership between the two clubs.
The sizeable crowd were impressed by the skills and spirit on show, as were the senior players getting warmed up.
The final few weeks of the season promise to be busy and a lot of fun for the girls.
Anyone wanting to find out more about the rugby opportunities for girls of all ages, ability and experience at Heath, please email rugby@ hhrfc.co.uk for more information.