Ysgol Gyfun Bro Morgannwg hosted the Vale of Glamorgan girls tag rugby finals earlier in May which saw teams fromt he Vale of Glamorgan reach the finals.
There were two categories in the final - under 14s (years 7, 8 and 9) and under 17s (years 10, 11 and 12).
Tag rugby has adapted rules from Rugby Union that include no contact, kicking or diving to score a try. Instead, each player wears two coloured tags from a waist belt; opponents must then attempt to remove one of these from a player who has the ball in play to constitute a tackle.
Two teams from St. Cyres and one from Ysgol Gyfun Bro Morgannwg Schools contested the under 14s Vale final; the match eventually saw one of Penarths St. Cyres sides prove to be victorious.
The under 17s girls finals were played once again by Ysgol Bro Morgannwg and this time their opponents were Llanwit Major; The Llantwit girls conquered on the afternoon and joined St. Cyres to represent the Vale in the Cardiff finals.
Matt Silva is the Vales Rugby Development Officer and spoke post event saying, As part of my role girls rugby is high on the agenda. The tag rugby tournament was a fantastic way of introducing girls to the skills and techniques needed to play Rugby Union.
Matt expressed his sincere thanks to all the players involved from the inception of the taster sessions along with P.E. Teachers who included Jo Sullivan from St. Cyres, Alison Rees from Llantwit Major and Rhys Benyon from Ysgol Bro Morgannwg. The event was a huge success and Matt worked in partnership with the 5x60 Officer Elin Leyshon and Sports Development Officer Micky Spillane.
Subsequently, the grand finals were held at the auspicious venue of the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Tuesday 8th May. Forty-four teams from schools representing every Unitary Authority in Wales played to win. Llantwit Major and St Cyres represented the Vale in an action packed day of rugby that was enjoyed by all.
Our teams did incredibly well and made it to the group stage of the Millennium Stadium finals; both sides played five matches and won three games each. Matt reports that it was only because exceptional teams opposed them their efforts were quashed, he explains, Whilst the winners of the final didnt win any more matches than our Vale sides, they triumphed solely by try count. Our schools and players should be very proud of their efforts and should certainly be congratulated.
Eventual winners of the tournament were under 14s Ysgol Plasmawr of Cardiff whilst Neath Porth Talbot College won the contest for older players.
Girls rugby is certainly growing in popularity in the Vale of Glamorgan, anyone interested in joining a club should be advised that Llantwit Major Rugby Club have under 14s and 17s sides and a seniors team for over 18s. Cowbridge Rugby Club are in the process of scheduling games on a fun basis for this summer whilst Sully RFC have plans to follow suit and present girls rugby opportunities for the future.
To find out more about rugby development in the Vale of Glamorgan contact Matt Silva by telephoning 01446 704603 alternatively, visit www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/sportsdevelopment