A FIVE-WEEK programme to develop girls’ rugby in school culminated in Haydon Bridge High School pupils playing competitively for the first time.

The school provided two teams for a recent North-East festival at Kingston Park, the home of Premiership side Newcastle Falcons, against teams from Bedlington’s Meadowdale Academy, Morpeth’s Chantry School, Newcastle School for Girls, Hartlepool’s Harton Technical College, Ashington High School and Washington’s St Robert of Newminster.

The Haydon Bridge girls worked with Falcons’ community development officer Josh Cameron in their PE lessons before breaking up for Christmas, and wanted to transfer what they had learned onto the rugby pitch.

While the festival was all about development with no scores nor winners recorded, the Haydon Bridge contingents gave great accounts of themselves as they played against each school with the exception of both Ashington and Harton due to the competition’s schedule.