Maids' girls show ferocious fight and spirit in teams' first ever matches

Maidenhead's u13s and u15s girls’ teams took to the field for their first ever fixtures on Sunday, showing the ferocious fight and spirit that is sure to characterise their play from now on.

The u15s took on Reading at home while the u13s girls played in a tournament at Newbury RFC in ‘monsoon like conditions’. They drew with a combined Tadley/Newbury team but lost to Trojans 1s and Reading Abbey.

Maids have been working to revitalise the girls and women's game in recent months, with Stephen Jones, the director of women's rugby, keen to provide a pathway for young players through to senior rugby.

When available the Wasps and England Women's player, Maud Muir, has been coaching the girls at Braywick Park - while the women's senior side 'The Iron Maidens' have also been enjoying their first taste of competitive action this season having been formed in 2020.

Schools have also been visited and interest drummed up in the new teams and the girls have been enjoying regular training sessions over the last few months to get themselves ready for their first ever matches.

Jones hopes the club will also be able to establish a u17s team in the coming seasons once the other sides have become more firmly established.

It is hoped that a pathway can be provided for girls to continue playing the game after the age of 12, when many have dropped out as they're no longer allowed to compete alongside boys.

Emma Sweeting provided the following report for the u13s tournament on Sunday.

'Wild weather wasn’t the only setback at Newbury RFC on Sunday. An overexcited parent flung open the door of the girls’ toilets to chivvy some players along, flattening half the Maids against the wall in the process. Bruised but unbowed, they swam outside to take on the ‘Blues’.

Their players were as tall as trees - but our young saplings were undeterred. Darcy powered down the pitch, brushing the opposition off like flies in the process. Courageous Kitty swerved players like a pro, in complete control of the ball. Smiling Ellie, who was like a small sunbeam on this grey day, zipped around like a crazed wasp. The crowds cheered as Elena danced round the Blues’ defence and splashed to within a whisker of the try line, which was under three feet of water.

Ruby’s battle cries of ‘Ready, ready up!’ could be heard on the moon - and stirred Maids to put on the pressure against Reading in the second game. Ruth ransacked their line - and Lucy attacked the Prop like a lion cub bringing down a wildebeest. As usual, Millie truly shone beneath her mask of quiet intensity. Ferocious fighting from Fleur and Emilia meant that Reading was hardly a match for the Maids (though the actual score was drowned in the deluge).

In the final game, the Eastleigh Trojans had the advantage of seven years’ experience and a Winger who ran through the puddles like the baddie in Terminator 2.

Highlights were Ella booting the ball into the stratosphere and amazing Abbie marching through the mud with half the opposition clinging to her hips. Through the sleet, Scarlett could be seen springing at the Trojans with the tenacity of a terrier - and she didn’t let go till the final whistle.

Soaked to the skin and with brollies turned inside out by the wind, the overall score was:

Dry robes: 3. Umbrellas: Nil'