RUGBY: All female coaching team appointed at Inverness Craig Dunain
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AN INVERNESS rugby team has started preparing for the new season with a new all-female coaching team.
Inverness Craig Dunain kicked off with pre-season training this week, with the women's team set to be led by club president and coach Jess Butler and player-turned-coach Jenna Woods.
The duo will take on training sessions with the women's team as well as leading joint sessions with the men's team, as the club aims to recruit players for both teams – with a come-and-try session open to everyone over the age of 16 running at their Merkinch training grounds on Saturday.
Jess Butler, said she is very happy of the new coaching setup.
"I think it's really important for women to have role models in women coaches," she said.
"It's been really good that the club has invested in myself and other players as coaches.
"I have just completed my advanced coaching last season, so I am very excited to take that forward. There will be much more focus on technical knowledge and individual player development, so really much more focused on developing each player at the level that suits them.
"It's a very equal split in ICD – we were one of the first clubs in the region to have a committee split 50/50 between men and women.
"It's always been about empowering every individual, so everyone's got the same opportunities and there's no differentiation for any reason."
On working with Jenna, she said: On Jenna: "She's quite a new coach but she's very capable to do some brilliant work.
"It's always good to have a different person's viewpoint because every coach has got their different style
After playing at ICD for several years – mainly as a scrum-half – Woods went through Scottish Rugby’s new coach development pathway achieving her coaching essentials qualification.
She said: "It's a way for me to keep involved with rugby whilst I'm not able to play as much and develop my own skills from a coaching point of view, but also benefit the team by filling that coaching gap, and while I do want to get back into playing more in the future this really nice thing to do in the meantime.
"I'll be very much supporting Jess in what she's doing, but adding in a bit more of back specific coaching as much as my knowledge and expertise can allow and therefore line the team to develop their game play a bit more in training, because I think that's something we've not been able to do all the time."
The women's side are set to compete this year in the first league of the Caledonia North Region within the new structure for the women's competition.
From September they will be facing opponents from Shetland, Orkney, Peterhead and Aberdeenshire Quines.
On starting the new season, Butler added: "With the women's team we started on our path last year, focusing on keeping the ball alive and handling and putting a good attacking game in place.
"We're going to keep on with that and change our game slightly to take in the new rules which aim to promote more offloads. And just lots of fun! That's the important thing, that everyone enjoys it and players develop at a pace that suits them and want people keep coming back.
She said the club is keen on developing new coaches among players on both the men and women's team.
"It's about empowering players to develop themselves to players coaches, because it just makes you better player as well! And that's the same with match officiating. If a player is injured or unable to play they can come and do some coaching. This just makes everyone a rounded player, more knowledgeable of the laws, and more understanding of the game.
"My dream is to have a whole coaching team and have a club's own way of playing – something we'd like to see at Craig Dunain in the future."
She welcomed everyone wishing to give rugby a try to come along to the open session – which will run from 2pm to 3.30pm at Merkinch Nature reserve playing field.
"Everyone is welcome! If you've never picked up a ball before, this is the perfect time to try – it will be a mix of games and a bit of handling and just have some fun, so that's absolutely for everyone from16 and up – and I want to stress, you are never too old either! I started at age I don't really want to mention...and I'm still playing ten years later!"
For more information and to get in touch you can message the club on their official Facebook page or Instagram (@invernesscraigdunainrfc) and at invernesscraigdunainrfc@hotmail.com
