didi rugby film promo trailer

We have been filming a new promotional video and we had a lot of fun producing it too.

Here is a just a taster of what our day was like with children, parents and carers playing just as big a part as our wonderful didi rugby coaches.

didi owner Vicky Macqueen said: “Thanks to all of the amazing kids who took part in the day. You did us proud and really played your part.

“Thanks to the parents who provided us with their children for the morning and gave us some great feedback too.

“And a final thanks to Hinckley Rugby Club for the use of their facilities for the shoot.:

The full video will be out soon on our website and associated social media platforms.

didi rugby film trailer

Competition will be serious when didi rugby Coventry launches on 16 June

Expect some serious competition in the Gulliver family when didi rugby Coventry is launched at Coventry RFC on Saturday 16 June.

Ben and Georgie Gulliver already run didi rugby Bedfordshire after launching in April.

Now, Ben’s parents and sister will be the driving force behind didi’s latest franchise.

Tony Gulliver made 381 first-team appearances for Coventry RFC during a playing career that spanned 15 seasons and he is still team manager for the club.

His wife Carol, a former international swimmer, will be operations director of the new venture while daughter Sophie will be running the show.

There is little doubt, in a rugby-mad, competitive family, that the successes of didi Coventry and didi Bedfordshire will be discussed at future family meals!

Carol, Tony and Sophie Gulliver will launch didi rugby Coventry

Super passionate

Sophie is a mother of three young boys aged between three and nine who all play rugby and she has seen at first hand the value of getting her kids active and having fun from a young age.

“I am super passionate about children having the options to take part in a range of activities,” said Sophie. “I believe this assists them in being well-rounded and confident when venturing in to the adult world.

“I have personally seen my children’s confidence grow from being part of many different activities.”

Tony meanwhile, has been delighted to see his grandchildren follow in his and his own offspring’s footsteps.

“Rugby always has, and always will be, my passion,” he said. “I thrive on getting more people involved in the best team sport in the world because it creates a culture of teamwork, respect, sportsmanship, discipline and most importantly, enjoyment.”

Carol is an executive leader in private healthcare with 29 years of driving high-level performance in business so there will be no lack of acumen behind this didi team.

Promote fitness for life

“I am keen to bring the well-being of children to the forefront of their daily activities and develop and promote fitness for life for the next generation,” she said.

With Coventry RFC recently gaining promotion back to the Championship, Sophie, Tony and Carol are hoping to make the most of the feel-good factor around the city.

The launch at Coventry Rugby Club will see all three didi age groups covered from 18 months to six years. Free taster sessions are available throughout the morning which runs from 9.30am to 11.30am.

didi owner Vicky Macqueen said: “Sophie, Tony and Carol are very passionate about the sport and have a lot of energy to give to the business.

“They share the same values about promoting a fit, healthy and active lifestyle and it has been great to welcome them as part of the team. I am sure Ben and Georgie at Bedfordshire will be watching with added interest!”

New classes launched at Beverley Rugby Club for didi rugby North Yorkshire & East Riding

didi rugby’s North Yorkshire and East Riding franchise is launching new classes in Beverley next month.

Beverley Rugby Club will be hosting free taster sessions for all three didi age groups with the big launch taking place on Tuesday 5 June.

Regular classes will follow on from that in June and July at the club and head coach Emma Cutress said she was delighted to be expanding their reach throughout the area.

“I’m really excited about our upcoming launch in Beverley,” she said. “This enables us to share the didi rugby fun with lots more young children across East Riding which is fantastic.

“We are seeing great skills being developed in our existing sessions while our didi stars grow in confidence and ability and I can’t wait to see even more children benefitting from getting more active in our area.

didi rugby is coming to Beverley Rugby Club

Supportive team at Beaver Park

“The team at Beaver Park have been really supportive and we are looking forward to working closely with them over the coming weeks and months to make didi Rugby a real success in Beverley.”

Classes for 18 months to 3-year-olds with start at 4.00pm, with the 3 to 4-year-olds beginning at 4.40pm.

The older didi group finish things off with the 4 to 6-year-olds going from 5.20 to 6.00pm.

A Beverley Rugby Club spokesman said: “We are extremely keen to promote rugby development at any age and welcome this fun and informative initiative to the club.”

Reading franchise owner makes the leap to full-time didi rugby

didi rugby Reading owner Craig Hunter has been so struck by the support he has received since starting the business, he has turned it into a full-time franchise.

Craig took the decision after he and fellow coach Donna Clark were struggling to take advantage of new opportunities to grow their didi business because they simply didn’t have the time to do so.

Just three months into their didi franchise and Craig has become a full-time business owner to make sure those opportunities don’t slip by.

“It all started with a great conversation I had with Vicky Macqueen (didi owner) and has turned into a full-time business now,” he said.

“It has been really enjoyable since we started but it had got to the stage where I was struggling to fit everything into three days a week and Donna was doing too much too.

Craig Hunter (third left) and the didi rugby Reading team

Time and energy

“We had invested time and energy into didi rugby but couldn’t take advantage of the opportunities it was creating because we didn’t have the extra time due to other commitments.

“I thought ‘enough was enough’ and I was brave enough to make the jump!

“We have three or four coaches involved and me and Donna both coach too so we have been splitting what we do. We have been going into different clubs and schools since we started and there is plenty of other interest out there too.”

As well as taking didi rugby into schools around the area, Craig and Donna are currently hosting classes in Reading RFC on Friday and Saturday, Aldermaston RFC on Saturday and Woodford Park Leisure Centre on Monday.

“Rugby clubs in the Berkshire area are buying into it one by one and we have received some great support,” added Craig.

“I have not been surprised it has gone so well but I have been surprised at how quickly it has grown. Vicky is a big driving force behind it and she has the same ethos as we do. It’s all about engagement and there is certainly plenty of that about.

“We have lots of fun running the business and the kids enjoy seeing me melt when we are running around at classes. I am losing weight with every week that goes by!

“When adults and parents they see the kids smiling, they soon get it. Those smiles are infectious. Parents are engaged too and we make sure they are involved.

See kids having fun

“It’s a business where I can spread good values, see kids having fun and do it within a framework that makes classes affordable to parents.”

Vicky said that Craig and Donna’s success was reflective of their hard work and was delighted to see their franchise thriving.

“It is great to see a franchise that began as part-time grow into something that is now a full-time business,” she said.

“Craig and Donna have put in a huge amount of work to make sure didi rugby Reading has grown so quickly and been supported so well by parents, schools, clubs and businesses.

“They have a they have a great team didi ethic at Reading and have the same mindset and positive values at heart.

“I am confident with their drive and commitment, that growth will continue and more and more children and parents will begin to enjoy didi rugby classes.

“Like all of our franchises, whether they be part-time or full-time, they can rely on the full support of the didi rugby network and fellow franchise holders up and down the country.”

didi rugby South Warwickshire launches with England Women’s duo having fun too

didi rugby South Warwickshire is up and running after a fun-filled launch day at Kenilworth Community Centre.

Some exciting new friendships were born when children and parents from all three didi class age groups turned up for a free taster session under the guidance of franchise owner Kiri Bennett.

And the day was made even more special with a visit from England Women’s rugby duo, Amy Cokayne and Charlotte Pearce who helped deliver the classes.

And Amy took to social media to say what a good time she had had: “It was great to be a part of the launch of didi rugby in Kenilworth with Kiri,” she said. “It is such a great prgramme for all involved and even us big kids sharpened up our skills!”

Kiri thanked everyone who took part in a day which has kicked off the South Warwickshire franchise in style.
Owner Kiri Bennett (left) with Amy Cokayne and Charlotte Pearce

Lots of happy faces

“We had a fun-filled morning with lots of happy faces,” she added. “England Internationals Charlotte Pearce and Amy Cokayne were brilliant and offered their top coaching tips to all the new players, lots of friends and family turned up and having didi owner Vicky Macqueen there was great too because she has given constant support.

“We hope to see you all again next week at either St Martins Church in Finham on Saturday or Kenilworth Community Centre on Sunday.”

Vicky added: “Everyone there had a lot of fun and I am sure this will be a springboard to didi rugby being spread right throughout Kenilworth and the rest of South Warwickshire.”

World Cup winners to help didi rugby Gloucestershire launch on 10 June

It will be a star-studded affair when didi rugby Gloucestershire launches on Sunday June 10.

Under the leadership of former England player Susie Appleby, didi rugby’s latest franchise is edging closer to a launch that everyone is looking forward to.

And, along with Susie, who earned 65 England caps during an 11-year career at the top and now coaches Gloucester/Hartpury in the Tyrrells Premier 15s, there will be plenty of well-known faces there to join in the fun.

Danielle ‘Nolli’ Waterman is the latest World Cup winner and Olympian to confirm her attendance and she will be joined by Natasha Hunt and fellow England star, Ceri Large on what promises to be a memorable and fun-filled day.

“It’s currently full steam ahead and we are all raring to go,” said Susie, who will be running the franchise with fellow director Suzanne Appleby-Jones.

“We are really excited about introducing didi rugby into The Forest of Dean and the rest of Gloucestershire.

Susie Appleby will oversee a star-studded didi rugby Gloucestershire launch

We want to make a real difference

“There is a lack of activities for young people in the area and we want to make a real difference to rugby clubs, schools, pre-schools, other local business and the community around us.

“Three schools have already decided to include didi rugby as part of their P.E. curriculum in the autumn term and we look forward to confirming more pre-school and school sessions in the coming weeks. We can’t wait to host our first didi rugby birthday party too!”

didi rugby Gloucestershire will launch at Lydney RFC and free taster sessions for all age groups will be available between 10am and Midday.

Parents are invited to book their child in and come along to see what didi rugby has to offer. The England contingent will be joining in too and will be available for photos and autographs throughout the morning. Classes will then continue at Lydney on Wednesdays and Saturdays and other venues are expected to be confirmed soon.

“Parents, schools and local businesses have already been incredibly enthusiastic and supportive and we look forward to seeing as many people as possible on June 10 and beyond,” added Susie.

Vicky Macqueen completes emotional London Marathon

Necrotising Fasciitis could have killed didi Rugby founder Vicky Macqueen in 2013.

It is a rare but extremely serious bacterial infection that affects the tissue beneath the skin and surrounding muscles and organs.

It came from nowhere and got hold of Vicky like a python.

It took hold of her body in a whirlwind and the speed at which it spreads meant she came very close to losing her leg in intensive care. Things could have got a lot worse too.

Five years later, the disease has gone and life with husband Phil and young boys Max and Harry is normal, but its passing has left an indelible mark on her.

When she had fully recovery, Vicky soon founded didi Rugby and began to drive a business that promoted all of the things she stood for: fun, enjoyment, education, friendship and activity.

Vicky also began running. Just to celebrate the fact that she had two legs to run with.

Vicky Macqueen nearly lost her leg after contracting Necrotising Fasciitis

Crossed the finish line

Instinctively, this led to competition and the first race she took part in was the Leicester Half Marathon. The Stratford Marathon followed and the time she recorded there qualified her for the big one… the London Marathon.

Last Sunday, Vicky crossed the finish line of the world’s most famous 26-mile course in a time of 3hrs and 56mins and raised over £1,500 for research into Necrotising Fasciitis, as well as and the Wooden Spoon Charity – which supports young children with disabilities or disadvantages.

It was no surprise that given the background to the run, the day in the capital city under a red-hot sun and watched by her family, was a thoroughly emotional one.

“My mum was at the finish line and it was really emotional,” said Vicky. “I just shouted: ‘I did it’ and started crying. It reinforced the proof that I had got over what had happened to me and the emotion of that came out.

“Because I hadn’t seen Phil and the boys throughout the race, it was amazing to see Harry up on Phil’s shoulders a while after the finish. It was a very emotional day.”

Training for London while running didi Rugby and looking after two young boys was no easy task, especially during a brutal winter that offered little in the way of respite from rain, ice or snow.

But those who have known Vicky from her days as an England international, where she earned 34 caps for her country, will know of her hell-bent determination to make a success of things that she sets her mind to.

Loads of donations

“Some of the training had to be inside on a tread mill out of sheer necessity,” said Vicky. “But there had been loads of donations coming in and when I got to the start line, I felt really excited by it all.

“Then they played Land of Hope and Glory and the national anthem and I had a little emotional wobble because it made me feel like I was back playing rugby in an England shirt.

“Typically, I set off too fast on what was the hottest London Marathon day ever recorded but settled down well until around mile 14 when I started to feel light-headed.

“It soon dawned on me that I was not going to beat the time I had set out to do of 3:30 but I said that I simply have to finish this race because of the people who had come to support me and the reasons why I was running it. I kept thinking of my family and it started making me feel really emotional again.

“I soon got back into it and the crowd were amazing. You can hear them all shouting encouragement. It really is great to be a part of.

“By mile 23, I was flagging and still hadn’t seen any of my family. Then I heard a shout of ‘VICTORIA!’ – and I knew it was my mum. The last three miles were intense and it was the hardest mental battle I had endured while running a race, but I was determined to do it.

“When I finally got there, I felt a huge mixture of raw emotions. There was absolute relief, and I collapsed in a heap crying. I was so proud of myself to have done something so special with the support of so many people behind me.”

Former England player Susie Appleby to launch new didi Rugby Gloucester franchise

Former England Women’s player Susie Appleby will launch the latest didi Rugby franchise.

Set for its opening in June, didi Rugby Gloucester will become the 11th franchise to set up in the UK under the guidance of business owner Vicky Macqueen.

During a long and distinguished playing career, Susie earned 65 caps for her country between 1994 and 2005, played for England at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups and was also involved in the national 7s set-up.

She played for Leeds, Saracens and Clifton (Bristol) Ladies before moving into coaching.

Susie was involved in coaching the Engalnd 7s squad for 10 years and, as head coach, has just guided Gloucester-Hartpury to the semi-finals of Tyrrells Premier 15s. She is also an RFU Level 4 coach.

Susie Appleby will launch didi Rugby Gloucester

Strong sporting background

A proud wife and mother, Susie knows the full value of a healthy lifestyle with such a strong sporting background and is keen to pass those values on to children in Gloucester and the surrounding area.

“I knew Vicky had an amazing idea and, having watched didi Rugby grow on social media, I was keen to discover what provisions there were for very young kids out there,” said Susie.

“I want to combine the passion I have for rugby with getting very young children active and Vicky’s enthusiasm for didi Rugby and life in general enticed me into it.

“didi allows children to pick up a rugby ball and have fun, develop friendships and be able to play from a very young age.

“I really think this could be amazing for the area because it is a place with very strong rugby traditions and we have already had some good support.”

Ospreys Women announce Robyn Lock as Player of the Year

Didi Rugby Swansea owner Robyn Lock has been announced as Player of the Year at the Ospreys Women’s Rugby Club annual awards evening.

On a night to remember at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea, she was presented with the Elli Norkett Memorial Award, sponsored by Asphalt Surfacing.

Elli was a Swansea Ladies/Ospreys and Wales international rugby player who was killed in a car crash aged just 20 last year. She was much-loved by her team mates who played a memorial game in her honour this week.

Robyn beat fellow nominees Natalia John and Kerin Lake to the award and said she was delighted to receive the recognition in the company of some fantastic players.

“Receiving an award that recognises the hard work and contribution Elli put into the women’s game across Wales is a complete honour,” said Robyn.

didi Rugby Swansea owner Robyn Lock is an Ospreys award winner

Making Elli proud

“I know that everyone who knew her plans to do her proud and I just hope I’ve done that this season.”

It has been an amazing year for Robyn off the pitch too with such a successful launch of her new didi franchise which has received incredible support from children, parents, businesses in the Swansea region.

One of the those classes also saw Wales rugby legend, Gareth Thomas visit and pay tribute to Robyn’s work in the community. The footage of his visit appeared on BBC Wales’ Six Nations coverage.

Didi Rugby Swansea will be running summer camps right through August and regular classes are now taking place in Gorseinon, Glais, Gendros, St Helens and West Cross.

Amy Cokayne and Charlotte Pearce set to help launch didi Rugby South Warwickshire on May 13

England Women’s duo, Amy Cokayne and Charlotte Pearce will be bringing an international theme to the launch of didi Rugby South Warwickshire on Sunday 13 May.

Amy and Charlotte will be welcoming visitors and getting to know didi’s latest young stars as they kick-off what is set to be a fun morning at Kenilworth Leisure Centre.

didi Rugby South Warwickshire owner Kiri Bennett, herself a Great Britain universities international, will be leading the sessions which will run across all three age groups from 9am.

She will also be supported by dad and fellow coach, Rich, along with didi Rugby owner, Vicky Macqueen.

Kiri’s mum and daughter will be joining in, along with friends, family and what looks set to be dozens of new didi children and parents who have signed up for the taster sessions.

The 18 months to 3 years class will take place between 9.00 and 9.40.

The 3 to 4-year age group is 9.40 to 10.20, before the older 4 to 6-year-olds finish things off from 10.20 to 11.00.

England hooker Amy Cokayne is set to be at the didi Rugby South Warwickshire launch

Great mentor and coach

Great mentor and coach

Kiri says she cannot wait to get going after months of planning with the didi franchise support team.

“I have had amazing support from Vicky. She has been there every step of the way to ensure everything is ready and running smoothly,” said Kiri.

“She is a great mentor and coach and I am very excited to be working alongside her to grow the didi Rugby family.

“I would also like to mention Sanchia and Denise for helping so much with the set up and for their constant support throughout!”

The launch will take place at Kenilworth Community Centre, Abbey End Car Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1QJ.