CARDIFF SECONDARY SCHOOLS GIRLS TAG 2009
The tournament aim was to help promote and raise the profile of woman's rugby within Cardiff secondary schools whilst also providing a Club exit route to Cardiff Quins RFC Girls & Women's Section. Leading up to the tournament and via a new exciting partnership creation, 14 members of UWIC Women's Rugby Squad were qualified with a WRU Community Tag Leaders Award and accredited as Sport.Cardiff/Cardiff Blues/UWIC Community Rugby Coaches (CRO's).

The CRO's were allocated to the 7 Cardiff Secondary Schools who entered this years competition and delivered a 3 week block of coaching, passing on experience and coaching tips to both teachers and players within each school. The 3 week coaching block culminated in 13 teams and over 120 U14 and U18 players participating at the Cardiff Unitary Authority Tournament at C.I.S.S. Michealston, Radyr, Cantonian, St Teilos, St Illtyds, Glantaff and Plasmawr Secondary Schools attended with Plasmawr successfully winning both the U14's & U18's age group categories.

Plasmawr as a result progressed to represent Cardiff Schools at the WRU National Schools Tag Rugby Tournament 2009 held at Llandovery RFC.

NATIONAL GIRLS TAG TOURNAMENT 2009
Llandovery RFC was this year's venue for the National Tag Tournament with 17 Under 14s and 15 Under 18s teams attending from across Wales.
Assisted by development officers, community coaches and referees, the day was a huge success.

In the U14s competition, the semi finals were between pool winners Cardiff (Ysgol Plasmawr) and Carmarthenshire East (Tregib) while RCT (Bryncelynnog) played the best pool runner up, Carmarthenshire West (Caedcae) with Carmarthenshire East and RCT the eventual finalists.

In the U18s competition, the semi finals were between Neath Port Talbot (Neath Port Talbot College) and Pembrokeshire (Ysgol Dewi Sant) while Cardiff (Plasmawr) tackled RCT (Treorchy). Pembrokeshire put up a great fight against a strong Neath Port Talbot team which included Welsh under 20s players Jess Smith and Rosie Fletcher, but were lost eventual lost out by 4 tries to 3.

Cardiff (Ysgol Plasmawr), coached by current Welsh International Catrin Edwards, proved too strong for RCT and won decisively 6 tries to 2. The final was a fast and physical encounter. Both teams showed fantastic athletic ability and exceptional rugby skills but at the final whistle Cardiff took the title 6 tries to 4.

Jason Lewis, Welsh Women's Head Coach, spent the day at Llandovery and expressed his excitement about the standard of players coming through the Schools Tag Programme. "The tag event at Llandovery was a great success. It was good to see so many girls playing rugby. What was apparent was the real natural ability many of the girls possess," he said. "The final of the U18's competition was a fantastic game with end to end attacking play. The handling and support play was sublime at times. I'm sure all teachers present will have seen what a great game rugby is for girls.

The next girl's rugby schools event will be the National 10s tournament in the New Year.