RUGBY clubs throughout the western suburbs are banding together to form a women’s team for the 2013 season.
After previously attempting to set up individual female teams, players from Brimbank, Melton and Footscray will play for the Western District Women’s Rugby Union Club.
The side will be the only women’s rugby team in the western suburbs, and will compete in the Victorian women’s rugby competition.
Western District team member Bryony Epa said the partnership between the organisations would help to build the game in the West.
“There were a few of us from the West who had been playing for a while,” she said.
“After taking a year off, we decided that we wanted to get back into it, but didn’t want to have to travel so far away.
“We thought, let’s find a club here.”
After an initial come-and-try day late last year, the playing squad has grown to 35.
Team members are currently training throughout the western suburbs.
The timing of the new team couldn’t be better, with the popularity of women’s rugby growing in recent years.
“We are one of seven teams (in the Victorian competition) and until this year there were probably, on average, about four women’s teams in all of metro Victoria that we would play,” she said.
“Now it is really growing. With Rugby 7’s being part of the Olympics, there is a massive push in the sport to hopefully get women to go and play at the Olympics.
“For us, it is about growing the game. There is no real pathway for women’s rugby players. We want to build the profile of the game among women in the West.”
Long term, Western Districts is hoping to grow its playing base by enough to have separate teams competing out of all three western suburbs’ clubs.
Epa encouraged any potential players, sponsors or coaches to contact the club and become involved.
“The feedback I have had has been really positive,” she said.
“We have a good mixture of new and experienced players. The enthusiasm from the people who are learning the game is great. They have been really committed to training and have shown great effort to learn the new skills. It has been great to see.”
Western Districts Rugby Club can be contacted on 0402 661 626.
