England ladies rugby captain visits Old Leamingtonians in Leamington for launch of mentoring programme for young players

England Ladies Rugby Captain, Sarah Hunter, with junior players Evie and Chloe at Old Leamingtonians RFC.

England Ladies Rugby Captain Sarah Hunter visited Old Leamingtonians RFC in Leamington on Sunday (May 16) to launch a new mentoring programme for young players at the club.

The RFU programme, sponsored by Irwin Mitchell solicitors and for which OLs have been accepted as a pilot club, has been developed to inspire young players and to support maintaining them within the club environment between the ages of 14 and 18.

Nick Crighton, the club's press and publicity officer, said: "The central premise is to offer a clear pathway through the club sections to replenish the senior sections, both in men’s and women’s game.

OLS Club President Mike Hemming with Warwickshire RFU President, Matt Smith performing the ribbon cutting for the newly refurbished club house at the rugby club.

"Sarah’s suggestions included breaking down the barriers between the sections by joint training sessions.

"Sarah also proposed club wide connections, which we are being implemented through the OLs Cup initiative where the entire club is taking part in an internal competition that recognises our own history but includes every age group from under 6 to the veterans, with the aim of reinforcing the one club approach.

"She was very impressed with the environment at the club and how busy the place was now we have come out of lock down.

"Having visited the club as a guest coach ten years earlier at the start of her England career she was very pleased to be back and to see the new look clubhouse and to witness the vitality and enthusiasm in all sections.

"It was wonderful to see the star stuck Minis & Junior rugby players getting to meet their hero especially for little Evie in the Minis who wants to be a future Redrose and follow in the steps of the club’s trailblazers."

On Monday (May 17), the club's newly refurbished clubhouse was re-opened by Warwickshire RFU President Matt Smith.

The new windows, which are annotated with the names of the hundreds of people who have made a contribution, lead through sliding doors onto a new terrace from where supporters will be able to watch rugby when it restarts.

The work was done during the lockdowns since March 2020 and the sponsors of the project were Wildside, QA Windows, David McLaughlan Landscaping, Thomas Flavell & Sons Solicitors, Warwick Signs and Beki’s Brownies.