Sport / Local team encourages women to try rugby with new sessions
LOCAL rugby team Shetland Valkyries are encouraging more women to get into the sport with new ‘come try’ sessions throughout this month.
Sessions are being held every Tuesday and Thursday from 6.30pm to 8pm at the Lerwick rugby pitch for the rest of August.
Charis Scott, captain and vice president, told Shetland News that she got into the sport to meet folk when she first moved to the isles.
“When I moved up at the time, there was no football team,” she said. “Football was my original sport.
“I was like ‘oh, I need to find a sport and hopefully meet new people as well, I like to be active.’
“I decided to give rugby a try and it was probably the best decision I made coming up here.”
Earlier this year the Valkyries retained the Caledonia North women’s league division one title.
Scott said the team is a “great group of lasses” and full of support.
“It’s brilliant being able to get to know them, because I probably wouldn’t have met a lot of them if it wasn’t through rugby,” she explained.
“Rugby itself is so fun…it’s one of them team sports that you don’t have a ‘superstar’ as such, it’s very much a team.”
Scott said she would encourage anyone to come along and give the sport a try, even if they have never played before.
“Just come along, you don’t need to know the rules – I certainly didn’t, and I didn’t for a good while know the rules,” the captain said.
“You don’t need to be fit to come, you get your fitness up by coming.”
She continued: “It will be very supportive…for the whole of August, we’ve got ‘come try’ rugby.
“You can come at any time, but because it’s pre-season we don’t have any games.
“It’s the best time to come along and the girls are extremely supportive, they’ll explain the rules, they’ll keep you right.
“Never feel like you have to do absolutely everything, if you’re uncomfortable with any of the contact, the fitness, you can just step back.”
The ‘come try’ sessions are free, and if anyone decides to become a member of the club afterwards, the fee is £30 a month.
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