WINDERMERE RFC head of women’s rugby Tim Wragg believes their Pitch Up and Play Inner Warrior event created “a great buzz” around the club.

The club had 18 ladies attend the session at their base at Dawes Meadow, including six completely new members, two of whom were teenagers.

The sessions were non-contact in order to ease the new members into playing life at the club, who launched their ladies’ branch in October.

Wragg said the atmosphere created by the attendees was an exciting prospect as the club looks to develop its women’s team even further.

“We were really, really pleased with the way it went,” Wragg said. “As well as the turnout, they were all enjoying themselves, the banter and the crack was really good.

“It’s fantastic to see – they were all encouraging each other, when they see things coming together, they’re all shouting and hollering and they’ve bonded. It’s great.

“It’s such a strong buzz that was generated. There’s a momentum with it which is really exciting.”

Wragg said more women had been in contact about coming down to future training sessions on the back of the event, organised by the RFU as part of its Release Your Inner Warrior campaign.

The RFU is asking women to break out of their comfort zone by playing the sport, following the organisation achieving their objective of getting 25,000 women in England playing contact rugby.

Wragg is confident the Pitch Up and Play session will mean even more good things as the club looks to grow its base going forward.

“There’s a message group set up prior to this, and people were alive posting on it – my phone was going non-stop!” Wragg said.

“We’re looking forward, a bit nervous but excited, to see how many we retain for next week.

“We’re gradually getting there. All these ladies are completely new to the game – one or two may have been to a session in the past, but all of them are largely amateurs.”

Women's rugby union training sessions take place at Dawes Meadow on Wednesdays, between 6.20pm and 8pm. All old and new players are welcome.