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Women's rugby takes centre stage at Cheltenham North in front of watching RFU president Nigel Gillingham

Author: Roger Jackson, Posted: Monday, 9th January 2023, 12:00

Cheltenham North Ladies after their game against Camp Hill Ladies

A sizeable crowd was treated to a good game of rugby when Cheltenham North’s ladies hosted Camp Hill Ladies in a friendly at Stoke Road yesterday.

Former Leicester second row Nigel Gillingham, the current president of the Rugby Football Union, was in attendance and he looked on keenly as the team from Solihull pulled away to win 39-12.

But the result in no way spoiled the day for the North’s ladies’, with head coach Dave Payne saying: “It’s not every day we get a figure like the president of the RFU come and watch us play.

“There was a big crowd and they saw some good rugby, all the players enjoyed it. Camp Hill had a good team, it was a good test for us.”

This is the second season that the North have run a senior ladies’ team and Payne added: “It’s fantastic to see them develop as players and people as well, it’s really rewarding.

“It’s a really big growth area in rugby, the Women’s World Cup really highlighted just how good women’s rugby can be.”

And the future certainly looks bright for the ladies’ section at Cheltenham North because they have a thriving girls’ youth section led by their under-16s who booked a place in the last 16 of the National Cup on Friday evening with a 36-0 win over visitors Dings Crusaders.

Other Images

Rugby Football Union president Nigel Gillingham, right, with Cheltenham North chairman Paul Carter, left, and North president Paul Balmer

Cheltenham North Ladies and Camp Hill Ladies line up before the start of their match

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Women's rugby takes centre stage at Cheltenham North in front of watching RFU president Nigel Gillingham

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