Caerphilly Tigers kick start new team

Caerphilly’s aspiring young female rugby players now have their own team to join following sponsorship from local housing association United Welsh.

Caerphilly and Cardiff-based United Welsh has sponsored the first Under-14s side of the Caerphilly Tigers, the female rugby teams based at Caerphilly RFC who are affiliated with the Welsh Women’s Rugby Union and play teams all over south Wales. 

Funds have provided the team kit as well as equipment including balls, cones and tag tails.  The sponsorship has also paid for brand new shirts, socks and shorts for the Tigers’ Under-17s team as well as rugby coach training.

Some players are tenants of United Welsh, an award-winning employer with 126 staff which provides 3,600 homes in the borough - and Gareth Short, team manager and coach, also works for its housing team.

“It’s really great to have the support of a local organisation and my own employer,” he said.

“Before the strip arrived we relied on hand-me-downs from the men’s senior league so, as you can imagine, they weren’t the best fit for the girls!  They love the new kit and now look really professional on the rugby field."

Gareth said women’s rugby is one of the fastest growing sports in Wales with the number of Welsh teams now 18 compared with only three just five years ago.

“Our club is certainly expanding quickly - we now have 17 players registered for each team and we’re seeing new faces at almost every training session.  We’re planning to set up a women’s team next year so there is something for our current Under 17s to move up to.”

Tony Whittaker, chief executive of United Welsh, said the organisation focuses on investment in the local community.

“Helping to improve our local communities is as important to us as the homes that we provide and we have a community services team which works hard to do that through various projects.  

“We are particularly keen to make sure local young people – including our own tenants – have the opportunity to develop their skills and it’s great that we can also support an initiative which involves one of our own employees so closely.”

(28 November 2005)