Rugby team take on triathlon challenge for women’s sport

Members of Melksham Ladies’ Rugby team are putting their fitness to the test with a triathlon challenge to support a women’s sport charity and help fund the team’s physiotherapist.

A total of 49 members have signed up for the challenge, which began in September with a group run totalling 2,031km, averaging 500km a week. The cycling stage took place throughout October, covering 2,500km between the members. In November they will complete the final stage with a 100km swim.

The team aims to raise £1,000. Half will go to Women in Sport, a charity working to address gender inequalities in sport and increase opportunities for women and girls. The other half will help fund the team’s physiotherapist, helping players stay fit and injury-free.

Charlotte Holmes, who plays second row for the team, said, “We came across Women in Sport because they work in making sure there are equal opportunities for women and girls to join in with sport and breaking down the levels of sometimes inequality or stereotypes.

“It’s something that really aligns with what the Melksham Ladies’ team try and encourage and share. We take people who have never touched a rugby ball in their life, up to people who have played rugby as a child and now they are adults and want to keep their love of the sport going.”

Charlotte said there is still work to be done to challenge perceptions. “Although it does feel like attitudes are changing, at school there is still a mindset of grouping girls together because they would be better at certain sports.

“For me, I grew up in Somerset and we had one girls’ rugby team for the whole school, so it was all a mix of ages. We couldn’t play games because of the age range and so we could only learn how to throw and catch a ball.”

The team is completing the event as a ‘backwards triathlon’, taking on the stages in reverse order to a traditional triathlon. Charlotte said, “The idea to do a backwards triathlon for Women in Sport was because the social team in the club suggested we do a sporting challenge and I used to do triathlons before playing rugby, so I said, ‘let’s go hell for leather and do a backwards triathlon.’”

She added that the challenge has pushed some players outside their comfort zones. “We have some members who have never really run before so they are doing the Couch to 5km programme. For some of the members the only time they cycle is during pre-season training in the gym, so embarking on a backwards triathlon has been a real challenge.”

To support the team’s fundraising visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/melksham-ladies-bsmt