"The most important thing for us is create a legacy"

Bournemouth Rugby Club

Bournemouth Rugby Club staged their second women's training session for the three-part Allianz inner warrior camp series. Jamie Shanks is at the heart of coaching at Bournemouth Rugby Club and helps organise these sessions. He is also Chairman for the ‘youth and minis’ at the club. Bournemouth Rugby club are one of many teams around the country that are partnering up with Allianz for the Inner Warrior Camps. Jamie has spoken on behalf of the team regarding the camps. "The team at Bournemouth are absolutely buzzing about the concept... we are looking at promoting Women's Rugby across all of Dorset, and generally across the UK".

Whilst Rugby is seen as the most important thing at a Rugby Club, Jamie talks a lot about values, social interaction and having fun more than anything. "A big part of our initiative this year is about developing a thing called 'TREDS'". (Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline, Sportsmanship)

Allianz

Allianz has been running training camps for Women on and off since 2017. Over 25,000 women across the country have attended Allianz Inner Warrior Camps so far. Many have gone on to join women’s touch rugby and full contact teams.​ In England, the Ladies game has an average increase in players of 12% per year over the last decade, thanks to concepts that promote rugby for Women, such as the Allianz Inner Warrior Camps. England Rugby have said that with the host country for the Women Rugby World Cup 2025 being themselves, the aim is to have 100k registered women players by 2027.

"Bournemouth Rugby Club offers the social side of things... We have over 50 coaches for our youth and minis, all top level two coaches through the RFU, a great network"

Jamie says the main aim of these sessions is to be “building a squad”. On the first training session, there were just over 20 ladies who came along. This week there was around 40. The increase in demand for Women's rugby in Bournemouth has already increased in a week thanks to Allianz and organisers such as Jamie. He explains that with the 2025 Rugby Women's World Cup coming up “There's a big drive across the UK with the RFU, to make sure that we’re getting enough refs in, and ladies coaches... that's the important aspect, it covers everything, not just players through to coaches and support teams as well” 

What's Next?

Bournemouth Rugby Club are now aiming to have a Ladies squad for the future, as well as youth girls squads for multiple age groups. Bournemouth offers plenty of different forms of Rugby for Women; touch rugby, and full contact, as well as lots of different levels of training, from introduction to tackling. There is one more Allianz inner warrior camp training session left, where after Jamie is hoping he has the numbers to form a team. "Most important thing for us is create a legacy, obviously with a male dominated sport, we want to try and raise that profile for ladies rugby... At this present time we are looking to continue nurturing and developing a squad, of all different age groups". Jamie's advice to get players onboard is simple, "Just got to give it a go, it's a lot of fun"

Sian Reid has coached at Bournemouth rugby club for the boys youth team for a number of years, including coaching Justyna Pokorska's son. Sian then started to help coaching the ladies rugby. After a few tries convincing Justyna to play, she managed to get her to Chapel Gate and playing.

"We are one club. We will share everything together. We will share our challenges, as individuals and also as a club" - Jamie Shanks. 2024.

If you're interested in contacting Jamie Shanks or Bournemouth Rugby Club go through their facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BournemouthRugby/