Women’s rugby goes from strength to strength in Cumbria

A west Cumbrian woman has spoken of her joy at being able to play competitive Rugby League after the formation of Workington Town Ladies RLFC.

The rebirth of women’s sport at the Fibrus Community Stadium in Workington follows the formation of the new women’s rugby team two years ago. It has gone from strength to strength thanks to enthusiastic support from the rugby community, the Club, as well as funding from Fibrus Broadband.

Vice-captain Juliet Porter, who is 26 years-old, has been involved since its inception in November 2022.

“It’s something that the area really needed. Ambitious young women want to play the sport and we can’t let that talent be wasted.”

It’s been a long time since there was a women’s team in west Cumbria, until recently if people wanted to play Rugby League, they’d have to travel down to Barrow which could be a two-three hour round trip.

“The direction that the team is going in is a wholly positive one. It is, in part, due to the feeling of the Club right now – being clapped out by the male rugby team before a game, seeing fans cheering them on, and having access to physio and other facilities.

“And it’s great that businesses are backing our team in the same way as they do for the men. To have a big company like Fibrus believe in us and invest in our team as shirt sponsors means a lot.

“That makes you feel like you’re involved in something special,” said Juliet.

Juliet, who works as a safety specialist at Sellafield, is passionate about rugby and has played it since she was a child having previously been part of Widnes Moorfield under-16s team.

She enjoys that it’s an outlet for her competitive side but the atmosphere and camaraderie plays a large role too.

“It’s pretty special because you get people from completely different backgrounds, different life experiences, different jobs, different lifestyles, everything.

“But when you’re at training you just have one focus which is to better yourself as a team and you work together on that.”

Chris Collins, Head of Network Build and Maintenance, Cumbria at Fibrus said: “We are thrilled to support the Workington Town Ladies RLFC and we are delighted that they are seeing success in the Fibrus Community Stadium.

“We love attending the games and getting behind the team as the Official Sponsor, while also connecting with the Workington Town fans – it’s an important partnership for us.

“Fibrus launched in Cumbria in 2021 and investing in the community here has been a vital part of the business’s growth. We have supported a range of women and girls’ sports in Cumbria from rugby and football to cricket, we’re proud to see more people getting involved in their local clubs.”

Fibrus recently announced another round of funding in their grassroots funding, Play it Forward, with £50,000 available to support children’s sports across Northern Ireland and Cumbria. Clubs across Cumbria can apply for grants of up to £1000 to support their clubs and its members.

Sunday will be another big day for the Workington Town Ladies when they are due to take on the Barrow Raiders at 11am at the Fibrus Community Stadium. The Club is expecting a bumper crowd for the derby, coming as it does as part of a double-header with the men’s team hosting Oldham RLFC at 3pm.