Five ways Sport Wales can fund women's rugby in Wales

Set up a Women’s or Girls Team 

Starting a new club or team might seem a little daunting, but we’ve helped many new clubs find their feet with equipment and coaching courses. If you are using a 3G pitch for training, the Be Active Wales Fund can even help with facility hire for the first ten weeks to help keep your costs down!

North Wales Crusaders received £3,849 from the Be Active Wales Fund to start three new female teams at their rugby club, including two girls teams for under 12s and 14s, as well as a women’s team. 

Running and tackling isn’t for everyone so you might want to look at different variations of the sport to get more women and girls involved. Ever considered adapting rugby for older women or women with disabilities? Walking rugby, touch rugby and wheelchair rugby are other alternative versions of the sport that could get more women involved. Get advice by talking to the Welsh Rugby Union Places Team, Wales Rugby League, Disability Sport Wales or your local authority sports development team.

Better off-field facilities

Ensuring your club has changing rooms and suitable toilets is another way you can help women feel welcome and comfortable. Inadequate facilities for people on their periods can create a barrier to girls and women participating in sport. The 2022 School Sport Survey found that 8% of schoolgirls in Wales would participate in more sport if they could manage their periods better.

So, why not make some off-field improvements to help your club become a better environment where girls can really thrive in rugby? Simply visit the Crowdfunder website and find out how to create a brilliant fundraising project which could receive up to £15,000 in match funding from Sport Wales’ A Place for Sport Fund.

It could be something as simple as ensuring your club has the appropriate bins in the toilets, or a larger project such as new female changing rooms.

New Equipment

Rugby balls, tackle bags, tags, or cones; if you need new equipment for women’s rugby at your club, the Be Active Wales Fund can help.

In the 2022 School Sport Survey, 31% of girls who responded said they would do more sport if they felt more confident, and making sure that everyone’s got the right kit is a quick and easy way to help female players in your club feel welcome.

Need more equipment to support a women’s rugby team at your club? Or looking to upgrade outdated or hand-me-down gear? Apply for National Lottery support through the Be Active Wales Fund to provide females in rugby with the kit they deserve.

North Wales Crusaders received funding toward new balls and cones for their women’s teams and so can you!

Floodlights

Having limited time to train can be a barrier to playing rugby, so investing in energy-efficient floodlights can create more opportunities for a women’s rugby team to play rugby at your club, even after dark.

Whether your current set up needs an upgrade or you can’t use your pitch at all in the evening, floodlights are another great feature that the Be Active Wales Fund can support.

Courses for Coaches and Volunteers

Volunteers and coaches are at the heart of every rugby club – without them, there wouldn’t be a club to go to! The Be Active Wales Fund will support funding for coaching, refereeing and first aid courses at your club. If you train more people, you can run more sessions and more teams, including one for women and girls.

Coaching courses can also ensure your sessions are tailored toward the specific needs of women in sport, so train up those volunteers and go for it!

Thanks to players of The National Lottery, more than £30 million a week goes to good causes around the UK through initiatives such as Sport Wales’ Be Active Wales Fund.

If you want to start a new team or club, make sure you check out these five important steps to starting a new sports club.