As the game looks to come out of lockdown, good news is at a premium and Castleford RUFC are helping by continuing their attempts to increase the profile of girls and women in rugby.
Ellie Vines should have been looking forward to joining the Castleford RUFC Girls’ U18s’ squad this coming season but instead she’ll be on the touchline on match days as coach to the U13s’ girls. A very talented player, who has been playing rugby since she was 5 - first at Goole and then coming over to Castleford RUFC Girls as an U13 - Ellie had to have major surgery on some aneurysmal bone cysts at the specialist Birmingham Children's Hospital in June 2020. In a series of operations her neurosurgeon had to try to embolise the cysts but then had to remove part of the spine and insert rods and plates to stabilise her spine. Rather than give up on her passion for the game and, after helping out successfully at training sessions, the club have decided that she will take on the role of the U13s' Head Coach next season. She has already started on her coaching courses and her school will support her ambitions, especially as she has been following a Sports Leaders' course.
After taking a delivery role in the club’s Families Get Fit Together programme Jessica Jackson will take on the role of U15’s Head Coach in the coming season. Jessica played in the club’s U15s’ National Cup winning team in 2015, helped coach the U18s in 2018, has started playing for the new Castleford RUFC Ladies’ team and, after completing her degree at Leeds Beckett University, is looking forward to her new role and playing her part in the drive for greater female participation on the coaching side at the club.
They are great role models for girls in rugby and we wish them all the best.