Burford joined Harlequins in 2017, and has made 72 appearances for the Club during her seven years in South West London. In May 2021 Burford captained Harlequins to Allianz Premier 15s glory, beating Saracens at Kingsholm.

Internationally Burford has amassed 84 Red Roses caps since making her debut in 2006. A multiple Six Nations winner, Burford has appeared in two Sevens World Cups as well as four World Cups, winning in 2014.

This season, Rachael Burford will take on an additional off-field role, working across multiple areas of the Club to continue to drive the growth of the women’s game, engage new audiences and drive the Club’s women’s match day product.

Commenting on her renewal, Burford said: “Last year was a tough year due to back-to-back injuries, I’m super grateful to the medical team who got me back into a position to compete this season.

“One more year, knowing this is my final year and doing it in the quarters is really special.

“I’m so passionate about what this club can achieve on and off the pitch, combining both elements this season is really exciting, I want to make an impact on and off the pitch.”

Harlequins Head Coach Amy Turner said: “Burf has been a phenomenal servant to the Club for many years and is a player I was lucky enough to share the field with during my career.

“She continues to be a leading voice in the group but also a leading athlete. She’s a role model in everything she does and has already done so much for the game and for the Club. She will leave legacy for many years to come, but most importantly I am really looking forward to seeing her play and represent Harlequins with the same commitment and consistency I have always known Rachael to have.”

With thanks to Harlequins 

Red roses and Harlequins rugby legend Rachael Burford is leading a new global project aimed at providing a pathway for girls and women within rugby and to redress negative attitudes towards women in the sport.

The Girls Rugby Club is a rugby club built by girls, for girls in the form of an online platform to share knowledge, resources, inspiration and opportunities to girls and women around the world. Burford and a team of expert coaches, including fellow women’s internationals, will also roll out a series of face to face rugby workshops for female rugby players of all ages and abilities. The online platform will include options for free and paid memberships, alongside regular content of interest to the female rugby community.

Coaching will include rugby specific on and off-field courses, in addition to support from experts on a range of related disciplines including nutrition, mental wellbeing, sports psychology, strength & conditioning, recovery & rehabilitation, sports science and optimising menstrual cycles around training and competition. All content will be tailored for women and girls.

A 14-year international rugby veteran, Burford is turning her attention to the future of the women’s game as the next evolution of her successful Burford Academy. During lockdown, the Burford Academy was able to offer a range of popular Zoom training sessions and remote coaching to women and girls awaiting the return to play.

The Girls Rugby Club will continue to provide remote resources with the view to uniting the global women’s rugby community and filling the gaps left by funding cuts and restrictions around training and competition due to the covid-19 pandemic.

Girls Rugby Club founder Rachael Burford says, “I absolutely believe that rugby has the power to develop extraordinary women and girls. I’ve grown up in rugby and gone all the way to the elite level. There are opportunities out there but they’re quite limited and I think we’re facing an uphill battle now more than ever with the impacts of covid having a disproportionate effect on women’s sport worldwide.

“It is very important to me that we have a place that is for girls, a place to create incredible moments and a place where they can feel a part of something that’s bigger than just their local rugby club or themselves. The Girls Rugby Club will be somewhere they can feel part of a global community that’s all about driving and normalising girls and women in rugby.

“It’s not stand-alone, we want to be part of the movement that’s happening in women’s sport and within rugby and we want to give these girls the chance to be the best they can be. We want everyone to be a part of it and if we do that together as a whole community, then we can accelerate that movement.”

Female rugby players of all ages and abilities worldwide are invited to attend the very first virtual Annual General Meeting of the Girls Rugby Club in what will be an opportunity to discuss and share some of the challenges facing the women’s game, to table potential solutions and to provide input on shaping the Girls Rugby Club at its inception. Heading the meeting will be Rachael Burford and other founding members. To register your interest please email reception@girlsrugbyclub.com.

Survey results uncover root level challenges

The Girls Rugby Club has been established to solve some of the common issues within the women’s game, the same issues raised by a recent survey conducted by Rachael Burford in the lead up to the launch of her new project.

The survey canvassed over 50 female rugby players of all levels ranging in age from nine to 50, who have either played or are currently playing in England.

Among the key findings, were that 53.7% of respondents felt they had been judged or faced negative stereotypes playing rugby in England.

Furthermore, many shared their personal experiences facing bullying, difficulties with kit and facilities and a lack of opportunities compared to male rugby. A total of 83% said they had experienced issues with the size and fit of their supplied rugby playing and training kit, and 68.5% felt girls and women were not adequately catered to when it comes to rugby playing and training kit.

In contrast to the negative responses, the survey also uncovered some encouraging findings about the impact of rugby on self-esteem.

An overwhelming 90% of respondents said that playing rugby improved their self-esteem and confidence, and while 92.8% felt conscious of their weight and physical appearance, just 13% felt self-conscious in a rugby environment.

See below for the full summary of findings and an overview of respondents’ personal experiences.

For more information go to girlsrugbyclub.com

Survey Results

The following results have been collated from the answers of 55 respondents ranging in age from 9 – 50. They are female rugby players from all over the country who have played or currently play at all levels from grassroots through to regional/county representative level. For the full report please contact maryke.penman@macesport.com

• 38.2% had experienced difficulty finding a suitable team
• 85.5% said their local rugby club had a girls and/or women’s rugby team
• 12.7% said their local rugby club did not have a girls and/or women’s rugby team
• 36.4% found the rugby facilities available for girls/women were between poor and ok
• 53.7% said they had been judged or faced negative stereotypes as a girl or woman playing rugby in England
• 67.3% thought the rugby environment in England could be more female-friendly
• 90.9% said that playing rugby improved their self-esteem and confidence
• 38.2% believe it is important that they are coached by women
• 92.8% felt conscious of their weight and physical appearance, but just 13% felt self-conscious in a rugby environment
• 72.5% said they would do whatever it takes to improve their performance, including altering their weight
• 68.5% felt girls and women were not adequately catered to when it comes to rugby playing and training kit
• 83.3% had experienced issues with size and fit of supplied rugby playing and training kit

Anonymous personal experiences of girls and women playing rugby in England:

• I always get questioned if I really play proper rugby and mum gets questioned why she lets me play.
• The boys don’t pass to us. There are only three girls in our U11 squad and we are all fast, skillful and understand the game. There aren’t enough girls to make an U13 squad. The other local teams can’t get a girls’ squad large enough to play regularly. I am very worried for next season when we have to split from the boys.
• Coaches of opposition teams have said don’t let the team with the ‘girl’ beat you … that would be embarrassing. We normally won though!
• A lack of support moving from U11s mixed team to an all-girls team. I feel a lot of girls will stop rugby at this age due to a lack of girls’ teams. Parents have to be incredibly committed to take their daughters to often a different town.
• I get picked on at school and told it’s not a girly thing to do
• I’ve been called a lesbian, man, butch and scary. People have been scared of me.
• Someone has said ‘you can’t play because you’re a girl’, but I just shake it off.
• Boys won’t pass to me because I’m a girl. But some of the boys do pass to me and then I score because no one expects me to be able to. Sometimes boys shout at me if I drop the ball.
• People telling me I shouldn’t be playing because I’m a girl, I suck and should give up.
• A lack of clubs and training sessions being focused on boys. Going to training days being the only girl there and forced to stand out of all contact training. Being forced to leave my teammates and my club at age 11. I was previously captain of the team but was no longer allowed to play with boys. I’ve seen lots of training days set up for boys, but only pitch up and play sessions with very basic skills and training on offer for girls and most of the time it was all non-contact.
• Criticism of my body shape, people not believing I could love playing and being a mum at the same time.
• Being left out
• Older men being old fashioned with their views.
• Rude comments from the boys at school.
• When playing mixer rugby, not being included by the boys on the team.
• As a parent and team manager I have seen coaches sideline girls in mixed age ranges, seen boys ignore girls in their team without any sanction for this behaviour and less investment in growing girls squads than boys. Boys teams and coaches refusing to move from pitches allocated to girls for training, girls training mid-week because boys get priority at weekends.
• Having to convince my schools to set up and be consistent with girls’ teams. They were set up but never had as much interest as the lads’ rugby so there was not as much commitment from the school.
• Didn’t get passed to much with the boys
• A significant lack of fixtures for school teams. Also could do with a female rugby coach for rugby at school.
• People have asked why I wanted to look like a man as I was building muscle and they’ve questioned why I play rugby because they have said it is a men’s sport.
• Backlash from school friends.
• I don’t get passed to.
• During a club open day I was asked by another coach if the girls would run his stand as if girls and women’s participation was not to be expected.
• I am the only girl on my team and although the boys are nice some of them don’t pass to me and all the coaches call us ‘boys’ or ‘lads’ as a group. People at school laugh at me and say rugby is only for boys.
• Boys not passing to me during training and matches. Name calling.
• Not allowed to play rugby at school despite there being a boys’ team.

Great British Racing Jockey vs Rugby Player II: Lizzie Kelly (jockey) vs Rachael Burford (rugby player) (Photo: imagecomms)

Both athletes have had phenomenal careers in their respective sports thus far, with Kelly the first female jockey to win a Grade 1 race in December 2015 with Tea for Two in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton, while Burford was a key member of the England Women squad that won the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2014.

They are both in training for huge upcoming events in the sporting calendar, with Kelly set to compete at the Cheltenham Festival in less than three weeks’ time, after having her first winner at the Festival last year on board Coo Star Sivola in the Ultima Handicap Chase. Burford is part of the England Women’s Six Nations squad that faces Wales at Cardiff Arms Park on Sunday, while her club side Harlequins Ladies are challenging for the Tyrrells Premier 15s title and will host The Game Changer at the Stoop against Gloucester-Hartpury on Saturday 30th March.

Kelly, 25, and Burford, 32, showcased their remarkable athletic ability during the challenge, and provided some unexpected results in the four tests they undertook. The exercises that formed the contest were.

• The Plank

• Vertical Jump

• 30 second Wattbike test

• Equiciser

Vertical Jump – Rachael Burford (Photo: imagecomms)

Lizzie Kelly, winner of two Grade 1 races in her career so far, said: “I hope I showed to people the fitness and strength that jockeys have to have in order to compete on a daily basis. In sports like rugby, professionals have a lot more coaching and training than jockeys do, so I imagined before that Rachael was likely to beat me. It was nice to see that I could hold my own against someone who has represented their country more than 80 times in a sport like rugby.

Rachael Burford, Harlequins Ladies and England centre, said: “I thoroughly enjoyed pitting myself against Lizzie in this set of fitness challenges. As an elite athlete, I relish competition, and to be able to go against a top-class competitor from a different sport was extremely exciting. Lizzie showed the kind of shape you have to be in to be a top jockey and she certainly opened my eyes to the challenges that her training programme provides – of course I’m talking about the Equiciser! I wish her the best of luck for the rest of the season and hope to welcome her back to The Stoop for The Game Changer on Saturday 30 March.”

The Plank (Photo: imagecomms)

The challenge began with the plank, a common isometric assessment to measure core strength. Kelly and Burford were expected to perform well in this exercise, with both athletes requiring a huge amount of core strength to be successful in their respective sports. The Harlequins Ladies centre outlasted the Grade 1-winning jockey after an impressive three minute hold from both athletes to take a 1-0 lead.

Turning the tables on Burford, Kelly then produced a giant leap in her final effort of three in the Vertical Jump. The distance between Kelly’s standing height and her jump was measured as 0.49cm, leapfrogging Burford’s effort of 0.47cm and drawing her level in the contest at 1-1.

With the challenge fascinatingly tied halfway through, watch the full video to find out how the rest of the Jockey vs Rugby Player unfolded HERE

Lizzie Kelly (Photo: imagecomms)

Yariv Kam, fitness coach at the British Racing School, commented on the challenge: “I think the result of this contest really demonstrates the qualities and the level of peak fitness that jockeys need in order to compete. Jockeys shouldn’t be ashamed of competing with disciplined professional sportspeople.

“In terms of the challenges themselves, for Lizzie to then win the Vertical Jump and the Wattbike emphasises that jockeys really do need strong legs, it is so important on the horse for jockeys to keep their legs working in order to hold a streamlined position with their core and upper body.

“Finally, what an effort to see Rachael stay on the equiciser for a minute at that sort of level. We find here at the British Racing School that people really struggle on the equiciser on their first time of giving it a go, so that was really impressive.

Rachael Burford has a go at the equiciser (Photo: imagecomms)

“Congratulations to both Lizzie and Rachael on their amazing performance!”

This is the third Jockey vs fitness battle, with two-time Randox Health Grand National-winning jockey Leighton Aspell facing the all-time leading record Aviva Premiership try scorer Tom Varndell in the first Jockey vs Rugby Player in 2017. Watch the video here.

Last year, Silk Series jockey Hollie Doyle took on Arsenal and England Footballer Leah Williamson in the first Jockey vs Footballer challenge.

Courtesy of Harlequins

Rachael Burford of England (Photo by Eamonn McCormack – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

England and Harlequin’s centre, Rachael Burford, fresh from a successful autumn series against Canada was given the IRPA Special Merit Award for her inspirational work off the field.

Meanwhile Beauden Barrett and Portia Woodman were named World Rugby Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year 2017 in association with Mastercard respectively at the World Rugby Awards in Monte Carlo on Sunday.

Barrett becomes only the second player to win the prestigious award two years in a row, matching the achievement of his former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw from 2009-10.

He received the award ahead of four other nominees in All Blacks team-mate Rieko Ioane, England and British Lions duo Owen Farrell and Maro Itoje and Australia full-back Israel Folau.

Barrett said: “I’m very proud and surprised. I wanted to be better than last year and I still think I have plenty more to go. The Lions series put us under the most pressure I have probably felt in a black jersey and that’s a credit to the Lions. We learnt a lot from that series, particularly taking that into the World Cup. When I hang the boots up, that’s when I can look back and be really proud of this. I’ve got to thank my team. I am just one player amongst a great team.”

New Zealand winger Portia Woodman was named the World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year 2017 after helping the Black Ferns win a fifth Women’s Rugby World Cup title in Ireland in August.

She received the award ahead of four other nominees in Black Ferns team-mate Kelly Brazier, England winger Lydia Thompson and France back-row duo Romane Menager and Safi N’Diaye.

Woodman said: “Obviously just winning the team of the year award shows just how good our team is, and they make me look good; they do all the work and I am out there on the sideline just waiting for the ball. My mum wasn’t a big fan of me playing rugby, but I think she was going to support me no matter what and, without them (my parents), I obviously wouldn’t be where I am because they pushed me to do everything I can to the best of my ability.”

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “It has been an outstanding 2017 for rugby on and off the field and tonight we have recognised and celebrated those who have made it so special.

“From the players, teams and coaches who have inspired millions of fans to the unsung volunteers and projects who at community level are the foundation of our great game, we salute them all.

“Congratulations to all our nominees and award winners who have not just displayed excellence, but who embody rugby’s character-building values.”

The award winners were selected by an independent panel, who voted on every match from the Six Nations through to the start of the November internationals. For more details on the respective awards panels, click here.

IRPA Special Merit Award –  Rachael Burford (England) and Richie McCaw (New Zealand)

Rachael Burford is a Rugby World Cup winner, having won the title with England in 2014. The 31-year-old’s other three Women’s Rugby World Cup appearances have ended in final defeats, including earlier this year in Ireland. A former England Player of the Year, Burford has also contributed extensively to player welfare and the game in general by sitting on a number of panels over the last four years, including the World Rugby Laws Review Group, Rugby Committee and Women’s Advisory Committee.

She became the first female Board Member of the Rugby Players’ Association in 2014 and has been an IRPA representative and Rugby Athletes’ Commissions since then as well. Burford also runs her own girls’ rugby academy, helping to develop the next generation of players on and off the field.

Two-time Rugby World Cup winning captain Richie McCaw is the world’s most capped player with 148 tests for the All Blacks, 110 of them as captain. A three-time World Rugby Men’s Player of the Year, the 36-year-old was an outstanding leader on the field but also off it, continually demonstrating the highest levels of awareness and responsibility. The inaugural IRPA Southern Hemisphere President, McCaw was an active NZRPA Board member for 13 years, focusing on creating environments for players to thrive on and off the field. He is also Patron of the New Zealand Rugby Foundation and the Catwalk Trust, supporting players and their families following serious injuries and funding research aiming to overcome paralysis after spinal court injuries. He is also co-found and Patron of iSport, a charity focused on inspiring young people through sport to create a brighter future.

World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year in association with Mastercard – Portia Woodman (New Zealand)

Portia Woodman of New Zealand poses with the World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year Award (Photo by Eamonn McCormack – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

The 26-year-old played every minute of the Black Ferns’ successful WRWC 2017 campaign, scoring 13 tries – including eight against Hong Kong in the pool stages and four in their semi-final win over USA, one of which was nominated for IRPA Try of the Year – to finish as top try and point-scorer. If she wasn’t using her pace, power and unbelievable footwork to score herself she was creating opportunities for those around her. The former netballer, who only returned to 15s in May, played all eight of New Zealand’s tests in 2017, scoring 16 tries in total to take her career record to a remarkable 22 in just 16 tests.

Nominees: Kelly Brazier (New Zealand), Romane Menager (France), Safi N’Diaye (France), Lydia Thompson (England)

World Rugby Men’s Player of the Year in association with Mastercard – Beauden Barrett (New Zealand)

The 26-year-old continues the All Blacks’ dominance of this prestigious accolade with the world champions having accounted for the last six winners. Barrett becomes only the second player to win back-to-back awards after another impressive season in the No.10 jersey in which he celebrated his 50th test against Samoa with a two-try, 24-point haul and a piece of All Blacks history alongside his brothers, and finished the Lions series as top point scorer with 41. The attack-minded fly-half, who is equally at home at full-back, continued to torment defences with his instinctive play and captained the All Blacks for the first time in the non-capped victory over the Barbarians earlier this month.

Nominees: Owen Farrell (England and British and Irish Lions), Israel Folau (Australia), Rieko Ioane (New Zealand), Maro Itoje (England and Lions)

World Rugby Team of the Year – New Zealand Women’s 15s

New Zealand Women’s team (Photo: INPHO)

New Zealand won a fifth Women’s Rugby World Cup title in August after beating defending champions England 41-32 in a thrilling finale in Belfast, a result which took them back to the top of the World Rugby Women’s Rankings. The Black Ferns, with coach Glenn Moore and captain Fiao’o Faamausili leading the way, were the top point and try scorers in the tournament. This success came after New Zealand hosted the International Women’s Rugby Series in June with the hosts beating Australia and Canada before losing to England. New Zealand are the first women’s team to receive the accolade.

Nominees: England Men’s 15s, New Zealand Men’s 15s

World Rugby Coach of the Year – Eddies Jones (England)

Now in his second year, Eddie Jones has led England to nine victories in 2017 with the only loss coming against Ireland in the Six Nations finale to halt his winning run as coach at 17 tests. A second Six Nations title was followed by a two-test series win in Argentina in June and victories over Argentina, Australia and Samoa this month to take his record to 22 wins in his 23 tests in charge.

Nominees: Warren Gatland (British and Irish Lions), Steve Hansen (New Zealand)

World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year in association with TUDOR – Rieko Ioane (New Zealand)

The winger marked his All Blacks debut last November with a try against Italy, but it is in 2017 that Rieko Ioane truly made his mark on the international stage with 10 tries in 11 starts. The 20-year-old scored twice in his first start against the British and Irish Lions at Eden Park and claimed another double in his first Bledisloe Cup match in August. Blessed with pace and strength, Ioane was joint-top try-scorer in the Rugby Championship with five after beating the most defenders, making the most clean breaks and metres in the competition.

Nominees: Emiliano Boffelli (Argentina), Damian Penaud (France)

World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player of the Year in association with HSBC – Perry Baker (USA)

The oldest of the nominees at 31, Perry Baker enjoyed a season to remember in 2016-17, topping the charts for tries and points scored on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series with 57 and 285 respectively. The USA Eagles flyer has electric pace and can make something out of nothing, but has now developed the all-round game to go with his natural speed.

Nominees: Rosko Specman (South Africa), Jerry Tuwai (Fiji)

World Rugby Women’s Sevens Player of the Year in association with HSBC – Michaela Blyde (New Zealand)

Michaela Blyde enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2016-17 under new Black Ferns Sevens coach Allan Bunting. Her potential had always been clear to see, but Portia Woodman’s move into the forwards gave her the chance to make a starting spot her own. Blyde’s performances saw her finish as top try-scorer with 40, take her place in the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series Dream Team and be named DHL Impact Player of the Series.

Nominees: Ghislaine Landry (Canada), Ruby Tui (New Zealand)

Joy Neville receives the World Rugby Referee Award from George Gregan (Photo by Dave Rogers – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

World Rugby Referee Award – Joy Neville (Ireland)

A veteran of 70 caps for Ireland, Joy Neville is now creating history in the world of refereeing in a year that has seen her take charge of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 final in August and referee her first men’s international in Rugby Europe’s Conference 2 North in October. This month she is acting as assistant referee for three men’s matches, having recently signed a professional contract with the IRFU.

Award for Character – Eduardo Oderigo (Argentina)

A criminal lawyer, Eduardo “Coco” Oderigo spent 15 years working in the courts of Buenos Aires before a visit to Unit 48 at San Martin prison gave him the idea of teaching rugby and its core values to the inmates. Fundación Espartanos was born out of his desire to help prisoners reintegrate into society and weekly training sessions began in 2009. Eight years on, more than 500 prisoners are involved in the programme which has spread throughout Argentina, supported by local clubs and coaches. In this time many prisoners have changed their lives and learnt new values, helping to reduce the reoffending rate of those released from Espartanos to fall dramatically to just two per cent.

Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service – Marcel Martin (France)

Regarded as a pioneer and visionary figure, Marcel Martin spent more than 50 years involved in the development of rugby in France and was one of the main architects of the major political and sporting changes in rugby. A long-time Board member of the Fédération Française de Rugby Board and Ligue Nationale de Rugby, he was also an IRB Council Member. His service to the game he loved was recognised with the IRB Chairman’s Award in 2005 and he was made an Officier de la Legion d’Honneur in 2014. He passed away in May, aged 83.

IRPA Try of the Year – Joaquin Tuculet (Argentina, v England)

After more than 14,000 votes were cast by rugby fans on Twitter and guests at the World Rugby Awards, Joaquin Tuculet’s score for Argentina in the first test against England in June was named the IRPA (International Rugby Players’ Association) Try of the Year 2017. A breakout that began deep in his team’s own 22 after Juan Manuel Leguizamon fielded an England kick and the ball found its way to Matias Orlando, the centre slicing through the visitor’s defence with ease. He found Emiliano Boffelli in support, the test debutant straightening the attack before releasing Tuculet to sprint away from the defence to finish off the free-flowing move.

Nominees: Gela Aprasidze (Georgia U20 v Ireland U20), Sean O’Brien (British and Irish Lions v New Zealand), Portia Woodman (New Zealand v USA)

Full list of World Rugby Awards winners

World Rugby Men’s Player of the Year, in association with Mastercard – Beauden Barrett (New Zealand)
World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year, in association with Mastercard – Portia Woodman (New Zealand)
World Rugby Team of the Year – New Zealand Women’s 15s
World Rugby Coach of the Year – Eddie Jones (England)
World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year in association with TUDOR – Rieko Ioane (New Zealand)
World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player of the Year in association with HSBC – Perry Baker (USA)
World Rugby Women’s Sevens Player of the Year in association with HSBC – Michaela Blyde (New Zealand)
World Rugby Referee Award – Joy Neville (Ireland)
Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service – Marcel Martin (France)
Award for Character – Eduardo Oderigo (Argentina)
IRPA Special Merit Award – Richie McCaw (New Zealand) and Rachael Burford (England)
IRPA Try of the Year – Joaquin Tuculet (Argentina, v England)

For more details on the World Rugby Awards, visit www.worldrugby.org/awards

Rachael Burford (Photo: RFU)

The Young Rugby Ambassador (YRA) programme has been relaunched for 2016. Through partnering with vInspired, a leading youth social action charity, volunteers aged between 14 and 25 years old can now log their hours online and receive incentives and rewards for the time they have invested in developing rugby in their local community.

The RFU is encouraging YRAs to get involved in a range of volunteer opportunities, both on and off the pitch including event management, fundraising, refereeing, coaching and as leaders in their school or college. Providing a flexible approach to getting involved, the new programme is open to all young people involved in rugby whether they are in school, college, university or part of a community rugby club.

To coincide with the re-launch, the RFU is making a pledge to the #iwill campaign to provide support and opportunities to future leaders of rugby. Maximising opportunities to promote the game through  Rugby World Cup 2015, and the following years to Rugby World Cup 2019, the RFU is committed to embedding and expanding the role young people play through rugby volunteering.

Through the #iwill campaign, led by the charity Step Up to Serve, the RFU pledges to:

• Give young people a voice in rugby through the Young Rugby Ambassador, National Youth Council and Spirit of Rugby programmes
• Celebrate young people who are taking a lead in developing youth social action via the RFU Volunteering Recognition and Reward programme and further opportunities. We will also support young people to have a voice in decision making across the game.
• Act as an ambassador for the #iwill campaign across projects and events to raise the profile of our pledge.

England Sevens player Rachael Burford has similarly made a pledge to grow the game:

“I pledge to create a female rugby academy to help strengthen the growth of the women and girls game. I started rugby aged 6, thanks to my local rugby club where I had lots of playing and training opportunities. The young Rugby Ambassadors have the ability to inspire change in their own community. Young people’s involvement in the decision making process around the shaping of the game is important to ensure our sport is truly accessible for all.”

Click here to listen to a video message from Rachael.

At the YRA Leadership Conference in April 2016, all YRAs attending will be encouraged to make their personal pledge and share what they will aspire to achieve as a young volunteer in rugby and to have an impact in their local community.

For more information on the YRA programme, or for case studies on current Young Rugby Ambassadors, please visit here  or keep up to date with their activity on Twitter and Instagram via @RFUYouth.

Report courtesy of the RFU.

The Burford Academy is designed to inspire young girls to take up the game of rugby and in so doing help them develop their abilities and confidence, unlocking their potential both on and off the field.

The Academy will be open to all ages and abilities, initially aimed at U18s but will cater to Seniors (over 18) and under 10s later this year – dates will soon be released.

At a time when authorities are bemoaning the fact that so few girls take part in sport, the Burford Academy will offer a fun environment in which to learn new skills and get fit.  It will also provide girls and women with inspirational role models, encouraging them to follow their dreams.

The first camps will take place on 28 March in Surrey and 31 March in Kent and you can book a place here.

We were lucky enough to get to chat to Rachael about her desire to leave a legacy in the world of rugby and for the name Burford to carry on long after she has finished playing.  The full interview is below.

4tlos: What has driven you to take the step from mentoring and school visits to actually opening a rugby academy:

RB: I used to work for the England Rugby Union and designed and ran rugby camps which I really enjoyed but it was a little ad hoc.  I decided that it would be a great idea to organise something more structured and focused completely on women and girls.  There are a lot of camps out there for boys but I wanted to do something purely for the women and girls.

The aim is to attract more girls into rugby, keep current girls in the game,  and to show them all that rugby has to offer, to give them confidence to fulfil their potential both on and off the field.  The ethos of the Academy all about enjoyment and I firmly believe that developing/encouraging a player on and off the field yields better results.

I would also like to create a legacy seeing my family name continue to be associated with rugby for a long time to come.

4tlos: Why now, at the beginning of Olympic year when you are so very busy working on your personal goals of achieving a place in the GB team competing in Rio have you taken this step?

RB: Although we have only just launched, we have been working on this for 6 months planning and putting everything in place.  So now that my evenings are free for rest, after training during the day, I have been able to spend the time on my laptop doing the preparation for the Academy.

4tlos: What is your vision with regard to the Academy:

RB: To begin with we are holding a pilot with rugby camps in Kent and Surrey – areas where I have strong links, living in Surrey to the training Surrey Sports Park for the Sevens and obviously Kent which is where I first played rugby.  From there the plan is to expand across the country and eventually abroad we have already been contacted by various counties who want to the Burford Academy to come to them.

I will attend as many sessions as possible and I also hope to involve some of my England colleagues: Katy Mclean, Emily Scarratt to name but two who will both add an extra dimension to the camps.

The areas offered in each camp will include: Skill/performance development, Specific skills clinic, Fitness/Speed/Agility Elements

Classroom work on: Nutrition, Injury, Training, Confidence/Self esteem, Leadership/Teamwork, Recovery, Concussion treatments, Steps to becoming an England Player, How to communicate, Goal Setting, Game Understanding, Confidence building, self-esteem and many more

Obviously the topics will vary as they cater specifically to the age groups concerned.

4tlos: Have you already assembled a team to work with you to handle admin/organisation and help with the training?

RB: I have great team that will handle the day to day admin, plus bookings are taken directly through the website which logos –to-gogo set up for me and they have done an incredible job which makes it easy to manage, and is  a great source of information.  As previously mentioned I hope also to have friends and England colleagues involved with the camps

4tlos: Will you work with local rugby clubs that girls can be directed on to and also to promote the academy?

RB: We will work with clubs that are interested in working with us.  We have already had a club get in contact, asking us to run camps for the girls involved with their club, since their own activities are centred around the boys.

As an added interest to the rugby camps, the Academy will organise a mini tournament or rugby festival so that at the end of the training there is something to aim for.

4tlos: If you spot real talent you will be able to direct the player accordingly to a club that will nurture and develop her?

RB: Our priority is not at all to focus on potential England players.  While the Academy will not be elitist, it does has elite elements to some of the content on and off the pitch, and will be open to all abilities and ages, because it is all about girls being able to enjoy sport.  However, if there is a player who would benefit from and would like to join a club then we will, of course, be able to direct her to a club with a good set up for girls.

4tlos: Women’s rugby is an apparently fast growing sport in this country, but unlike football, hockey and netball there is little rugby played in schools. Would it be right to say that most women get into rugby at university unless, like you, they come from a rugby mad family?

RB: Not at all, rugby is growing in schools as the England Rugby initiative ‘All Schools’ is really having an impact but it would be great to have rugby as part of the curriculum alongside the more traditional girls’ sports: netball, hockey and lacrosse.

When I first started to play rugby it was in a boys’ team but when I was 12 I had to make the transition to an all-girls side.  This wasn’t easy and having spoken to others who had the same experience we would like to be able to breach this gap and show girls that it isn’t intimidating playing in an all-girls team, it’s a terrific way of making new friends and building teamwork and relationships.

RB: I’m now really looking forward to the first camp on 28 March in Surrey, it is so exciting to see this project, which is so important to me, come to life.

I’d like to take this opportunity to say a  huge thank you to our sponsors who have massively supported us in making the academy come true.  Thank you – Restart Rugby, Samurai-sportswear and @striveprotein and Logos-to-gogo.

And, we at 4tlos would like to thank Rachael for taking the time to talk with us, it was an absolutely pleasure to speak with her we hope this will be just the beginning of a lasting Burford rugby legacy. It’s clear that this project is really important to Rachael and her presence at as many camps as is possible shows her level of commitment.

We wish her every success both with the Burford Academy and with her playing career and hope she meets every goal she sets herself! 

You can find out more about Rachael from her website here  and below you can find a brief biography giving just some of her many achievements.

Biography: Rachael Burford

Rachael comes from a rugby mad family and started playing at just 6 years of age when she joined Medway RFC; at 16 she made her debut for the under 19s and also joined Bath Academy.

At the age of 19 earned her first call up to the England senior side (having previously played for the U19s, England Academy and England A).  Shortly after her 20^th birthday Rachael debuted for the England senior side at the IRB Women’s rugby World Cup in Canada, where England lost in the final to New Zealand.

56 xv caps playing in Six Nations campaigns, 4 Autumn Internationals and thus far 3 xv Rugby World Cup’s, and it was a case of third time lucky for her in 2014 when England not only got to the final again but this time came away with the spoils. 21 Sevens Caps and 2 x Sevens Rugby World Cups

After winning the World Cup Rachael was one of just 20 players awarded professional 7s contracts with the aim of qualifying a team for the 2016 Olympics in Rio, which the team achieved in 2015.

High on the agenda now is selection for the GB team that will compete in Rio, following that Rachael will set her sights on returning to xv’s club rugby and hopefully selection for England again with 2017 6 Nations and another World Cup – after all England have a trophy to defend.