Girls’ and women’s rugby is thriving in Melksham, with two England World Cup winners visiting the town on Sunday 5th October to see the success of the club’s growing girls’ section.
Hundreds of people turned out to Oakfield Stadium for a full day of rugby, where Red Roses Zoe Aldcroft and Alex Matthews met young players and fans before taking part in a Q&A session. The event also celebrated the first-ever match for Melksham’s new under-16s girls’ team, joining the existing under-12s and under-14s squads.
Zoe Aldcroft, who captained the England team to World Cup victory, said it was special to see how much the game is growing locally.
“It’s so important to keep the momentum going from the World Cup,” she said. “To come down here to Melksham and see so many young girls picking up a rugby ball is really special. We’ve heard there have been so many new enquiries recently, which just shows how much interest there is – it’s great to see so many inspired to get involved.”
Alex Matthews, who scored two tries in the World Cup final, added, “It’s amazing to see how far the game has come. When we were younger, it was hard to even get one team together, and now Melksham has girls playing at every age group. The girls are so fortunate to have this, and it’s fantastic to see the sport thriving.”
13-year-old Nia Goodwin-Fielding, who plays for the Melksham Fawns, said the visit was ‘inspiring.’
“To have two of the Red Roses join our team huddle was a most unreal experience, one we will never forget!” she said.
Head of Coaching for girls’ rugby Scott Simmons said the visit marked a milestone for the club’s development.
“We’ve been building the girls’ section for a few years now, and with the new under-16s team we now have a thriving pathway for girls all the way through to the senior level,” said Scott.
“Today’s visit from the Red Roses was the pinnacle of that, and it was great to show world champions what Melksham rugby is all about.”
