England lose, but in Aylesbury, it's all about the love of the game

As England recovers from their Six Nations loss against Scotland last night, we're hearing about the importance of grassroot rugby from a local club in Bucks.

Aylesbury Rugby Club is championing the ethos of inclusivity and community spirit in grassroots rugby, welcoming players of all ages, body types, and genders onto the pitch.

Emphasizing the joy of the sport irrespective of individual characteristics, the club is fostering a supportive environment where everyone feels valued.

Gabby, a 28-year-old member of the women's team at Aylesbury Rugby Club, highlighted the club's ethos, stating, "Everyone having a place on the pitch is something that attracted me to it as well. There's the stereotype of rugby players being quite strong, quite tall, but then when you start playing you realize that everyone has a space on the pitch and everyone is as valuable as each other."

Reflecting on her journey into rugby, Gabby shared, "My whole life, I was told that I'm not allowed to play rugby because it's too dangerous... I just sort of went into it blind. And just fell in love with it from the moment I got onto the pitch."

She also expressed gratitude for the sense of community rugby brought into her life, saying, "I've recently got into rugby and what it's bought is a community... I've met some incredible people from it, all the women that we play with. We are such a close team and we're all very positive."

Lola Buckland, a 13-year-old member of the youth team at Aylesbury Rugby Club, shared her passion for the sport, attributing it to her upbringing. "I love rugby because I grew up with it... I started when I was like under sevens, stopped for a bit and then rejoined in under 10s. I really like it."

Lola also highlighted the friendships she gained through rugby, stating, "I've gained loads of friends from doing it. And when I first started, it was just me and my Co-captain. Now it started from us to now a whole group of under four teams, and we're doing really well."

England's next match is against Ireland next month.

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