WELLINGTON Rugby Club’s Vixens pre-season training is seeing a high number in attendance as the coaching team work through a programme of drills, incorporating fitness and skills.

The group are developing well and are gaining a lot of knowledge around the way the game is played, the laws and applying them on the field of play.

The coaching team’s aim is to ensure each player has an understanding of their role, what they need to do during the game to remain within the laws and how their actions assist the whole team.

It has been very rewarding seeing the more experienced players in the squad bringing on those with little or no experience of playing rugby. This will be vital come game time which will shortly be upon us.

It has been very rewarding seeing how well on the squad are gelling together, playing and supporting each other and are bonding as a strong cohesive unit.

The squad have demonstrated their determination and desire to succeed in the way they go about training, throwing themselves into every drill and being open to constructive development from coaches and their peers alike. 

Recently the Vixens clustered in training with Taunton Titans RFC Womens team.  Titans lead coach Chris Brown with Vixens Coaches Dom Byrne and Hugh Barrett held a very productive training session at Wellington with numbers allowing both sides to effectively run offense and defence drills against each other. This is something the two clubs propose to repeat in late August.

Coach Hugh Barrett said, for Dom and I, it is so refreshing to have such a committed group who want to learn and have a thirst to gain knowledge and skills. They are like sponges, they just soak up every piece of information they can, from physical drills to Q&A’s on areas covered in all aspects of training.

Dom and I made the early decision to have joint captains this season to assist the forwards and backs in training and during games. They will be Brianna Whelan for the backs and Taylor Wetherall in the forwards. The team player representative is Lisa Jenkins. We are anticipating Lisa, Taylor and Brianna will sit on the main club playing committee and provide a vital input to the club on all matters relating to the Vixens.

Wellington RFC Vixens’ first home game is a friendly against Bideford RFC ladies on Sunday 1st September 2024, KO 2.30pm. This is followed by the National Conference 3 South West Central game against Chard RFC ladies on Sunday 29th September 2024, KO 2.30pm. Please come down and support the Vixens and enjoy some great rugby with a festival atmosphere.

HUGH BARRETT