Chairperson of Lancaster rugby club reveals how grant will benefit community 

The chairperson of a Lancaster rugby club has told Beyond Radio how beneficial a recent grant will be to them and the area.

Lancaster Lionesses Rugby Club secured a £10,000 grant from Royal London and The British & Irish Lions last month through the Championship Women’s and Girls’ Rugby Award.

They were chosen as the winning club for the award in England, while one club in the other home unions - Ireland, Scotland and Wales - also received the grant. 

Lancaster Lionesses were founded in May 2023 as the UK’s first and only women’s specific community rugby club, and they have risen through the divisions since then.

Chairperson Kayla Heglas appeared on Beyond Radio’s Saturday Sport and told listeners how the club would use the grant to benefit the community.

“We were beyond privileged [to receive the grant],” she said.

‘’There were lots of tears shed about how incredibly lucky we are.

“We were founded to put women and girls at the centre of our club and to have that support and this money is going to help us take a major step forward in this mission.”

Kayla added: “We’re hoping to grow our community presence across the Lancashire area, get more women playing rugby, primarily at our club but also we’re happy to help people to find the clubs they want in the surrounding area.

“We’re also excited to use this grant to establish a Lionesses girls rugby pathway, starting with some different sports clubs, then working towards an actual team of girls and creating that pathway from young girls, to teens to women’s rugby.”

In the short-term and the long-term, that is the main goal: to get schoolgirls involved in the sport and to form a successful pathway, as has been seen in many different local clubs across a variety of sports in recent years.

The club has recently started planning youth rugby camps and forming relationships with schools and after-school clubs.

“We’re looking to start volunteering at schools soon, getting girls excited about rugby and other sports,’’ Kayla said.

“There’s the logistical side of [setting up a junior section], what days work, finding coaches and kind of thing but it’s definitely something that, when we started the women’s side, we were passionate about: getting girls involved and creating that lasting connection with a club and a community that love rugby.

“Right now it’s getting into schools, doing camps over school breaks and once that gets more leverage then we can start growing that into the pathway.

“It’s also about finding and building ourselves, meeting businesses and that kind of thing.

“We really want to create lasting relationships with businesses and embed ourselves into Lancaster and the surrounding area.

However, alongside forming a junior pathway, the club are also as enthusiastic as ever about getting more senior players involved and improving the social experience for current players.

“We want to do more socials with current members and finding other women in the community who want to join, whether they want to fall in love with our club first and then rugby, or they’re coming to us already loving rugby.

“Rugby is truly the sport where anyone can find their place, there’s a position for any person.

 “We as a club don’t ever put pressure on an individual; if you’re looking to meet likeminded friends, get more exercise or looking to learn and compete, rugby is for you and our club provides all those things.

“Off the pitch is just the pitch to us as on it, each month we try to host a social which brings the players together and create that family feel.”

The club would appreciate more support from local businesses - for more information, you can contact their Instagram and Facebook pages.

Lancaster Lionesses secured back-to-back promotions in the last two seasons; having started out in NC 3 North in 2023, they are now competing in NC 1 North.

It’s a league of seven teams, with the Lionesses currently sitting in fifth, having picked up two wins and suffered two losses.

Their next game is on Sunday (January 11) at 2pm when they take on Harrogate RUFC Ladies at their home ground at Lancaster University.

Reflecting on the back-to-back promotions, Kayla said: “Absolutely incredible, it’s something we’re so proud of.

“We knew we had the ability to do it and there was this belief but [you don’t know] until it comes together and until you actually see it happen

“It’s really pushed us in such a positive way as a club and as players.

“We’re settling in well (to NC1 North), we’re finding it fun going up against new teams and different styles of play, seeing different aspects of rugby and how other teams are coming at us.

“We’re excited to continue learning, progressing and analysing what other teams are doing, and getting better ourselves.”