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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.

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.

England Women’s World Cup-winning coach Gary Street will head up the latest didi rugby franchise to launch.

didi rugby Twickenham will start with a bang when it holds its first sessions at the Twickenham Stoop – home of Harlequins RFC – on Saturday 19^thMay.

And World Cup winner Maggie Alphonsi will be there to lend her support for what promises to be a memorable launch party.

The fun and activities for all three didi age groups will begin at 9.00am and go right through to Midday.

Our 18 months to 3 years kids will be first, followed by the 3 to 4-year-olds with didi seniors (4 to 6 years) finishing things off.

Gary is the most successful England rugby coach of all time. As head coach of the England Women’s team from 2007, he led them to a glorious World Cup victory on France in 2014. With him in charge, England also won five Six Nations titles on the trot, four Nations Cups and four European Cups.

Since leaving that role, he helped coach Aylesford Bulls to a league and cup double in 2016/17 and that side is now playing under the Harlequins banner in the Tyrrells Women’s Premier XVs. As part of an extended role with Quins, Gary has been working with coaches in the Developing Player Programme.

Bringing on young players has always been close to his heart and he says he is really looking forward to the launch of didi Rugby Twickenham to continue that drive.

“I am really proud to be involved with didi Rugby and to bring the values of the business to the Twickenham and Richmond area,” he said.

“It is fun and entertaining and a great way to get kids active in the sport.

“We look forward to getting to know lots more parents and children in the coming months.”

While Gary will front the coaching side of the franchise, he will receive support from Andrew Forsythe and Jonathan Palmer.

Andrew is a qualified rugby referee with a huge passion for the game and the values it promotes.

Women’s World Cup-winning coach Gary Street is on the look-out for coaches to join his new didi Rugby team in Twickenham.

The latest didi franchise is set to launch at Harlequins’ The Stoop ground on May 19, amidst growing excitement from businesses, parents and children in the area.

“We are all looking forward to getting didi Rugby Twickenham up and running on May 19,” said Gary. “We are currently looking to complete our team with some more coaches and are seeking people who are driven and passionate to share our values for getting children active while having fun.

“I would like to ask anyone who is interested in the role and wants to find out more information about what it entails to get in contact with me.

“We are looking for people to be available on Saturday and Sunday mornings with the possibility of some mornings and afternoon slots in the week too.”

All coaches will receive training from Gary and the rest of the didi team.

The event in Twickenham follows on from the recent franchise launches in Loughborough and Bedfordshire, with a new venues in Kenilworth and South Warwickshire set to begin on May 13.

didi Rugby Reading is set to extend the amount of classes it offers to youngsters in the area after a tremendous response from the public.

Since launching almost three months ago, the franchise has gone from strength to strength under the leadership of Craig Hunter and Donna Clark.

And when some of the age groups quickly became full and began operating a waiting list, Craig and Donna knew they had to come up with ideas to satisfy the ever-growing demand.

Didi Reading currently offer two classes on Fridays and three on Saturday at Reading RFC. As of next week, they are delivering permanent sessions in three schools, with taster sessions coming up in two others with a view to running permanently from September.

Classes at Aldermaston RFC is now a permanent fixture on a Saturday morning – after starting off as a taster session – and they are filling up already.

Taster sessions at Newbury start  on Wednesday 2 May.

Craig said: “It has been an amazing few months for us since we launched.  We are looking forward to growing the didi rugby Reading coaching team now and sharing the fun, while enabling children from 18 months to 6 years old to build confidence and be active.

“None of this would have been possible without the support of Donna and fellow coaches Clare Swadling, Nicola Brooks, as well as Joe, Caitlin, Jack and Katie, and of course Vicky Macqueen and the didi rugby team.

“I have always wanted to provide some form of rugby for the siblings of our U6 and above players at Reading RFC.

Didi Rugby’s Yorkshire franchise is going from strength to strength after its official launch in Pocklington.

Held at the Scout Hut in town, the open day was a huge success despite freezing weather with excited children and parents getting a taste of what was on offer.

Since then, the first couple of weeks of one of didi Rugby’s newest franchises have flown by for owners Pete and Emma Cutress.

With classes growing in Clifton Moor as well as Pocklington, Emma said they had been ‘overwhelmed’ by the response they had seen since the launch.

“It was fantastic to see so many happy smiling faces with children and grown-ups getting involved,” she said. “We are overwhelmed at the response to our first sessions in Pocklington.

“We’ve already had some great feedback and are looking forward to seeing our didi stars back for some more fun!

“There’s no rest for the wicked this week as our classes continue at pace. We are really grateful for everyone’s support and looking forward to seeing some more new faces at our next sessions.”

Despite snow and freezing temperatures, the re-launch of didi Rugby’s Loughborough classes soon got warmed up with new franchise owners Caroline and Terry Percival at the helm.

As well as a fantastic response from local families, the President of Loughborough Rugby Club arrived to see what was going on and to encourage children into the sport.

At the end of the sessions, he was so impressed that he has given his full support to didi Rugby in Loughbourough.

Caroline said she was delighted by the success of their big day. “We were amazed by the response from the local community building up to the event,” she said. “It is heartwarming to see that so many people share our passion for rugby and its values and also want to share these with their children.”

There were three classes held at Rosebery Community Centre in Loughborough, Leicestershire on Saturday. Children aged from 18 months through to six years were split into minis 9-9.40, juniors 9.40-10.20 and seniors 10.20-11.

The children in all classes were really engaged with the activities but the ‘What’s the time Mr. Wolf?’ game was a particular hit, with squeals of delight from the children and laughter from the parents ringing out around the hall.

There were even requests for the game in next week’s classes from some of the children.

Kiri Bennett and dad Rich, both believe in passing on the benefits of physical activity to the younger generation.

Kiri’s two-year-old daughter Ayaana is already reaping the rewards of her mum’s passion.

And with Rich having taught physical education for 40 years, he brings a vast amount of the knowledge to the launch of a new franchise.

Kiri and Rich will be spreading theirs beliefs throughout South Warwickshire after finding the perfect fit for their values in didi Rugby.

Now, children and parents in places like Coventry, Kenilworth and other villages and towns in the area will be able to attend didi Rugby classes and share in her vision to get young children active and healthy while having fun.

“I have a real passion for physical activity and want to share and promote my love for it towards the new generation,” said Kiri. “I believe in the importance of physical activity and how it should begin at a young age to promote all of the incredible benefits it provides.

“I believe not only in the physical well-being didi Rugby offers children but also in the other social and mental aspects it provides too. Whatever path a child chooses to take in later life, the benefits of fundamental movement and physical skills cannot be understated.”

Kiri knows a thing or two about rugby too! Having played competitive rugby from an early age, she represented Great Britain University 7s team, captained the University if Wales Institute (now Cardiff Met) and has a BSC in Sport and Physical Education.

“I lived and worked in Sydney for over four years where I gained a lot of experience in sport development and customer relations so I can’t wait to launch this new didi Rugby franchise,” added Kiri.

Rich meanwhile, has taught physical education and special educational needs for 40 years. As part of that work, he qualified as a councillor and specialised in working with students who suffer from anxiety.

didi Rugby Reading will launch their link with London Irish RFC on Sunday 15 April at the Madejski Stadium.

The Exiles will welcome champions Exeter Chiefs later that day in the Aviva Premiership and anyone involved in the didi fun on the day will also be offered heavily discounted tickets to what promises to be a fascinating game at 3.00pm.

didi Rugby Reading will be offering free 40-minute taster sessions to children between the ages of 18 months and six years old, from midday until 2pm, inside the stadium.

Our sessions are open to existing didi Rugby Reading superstars – but we will also be delighted to welcome new players to come and give us a try!

didi Rugby Reading’s Craig Hunter has been integral in this community link and will be ensuring that little ones and their families are inspired to join in and feel a part of didi Rugby and London Irish.

didi Rugby owner Vicky Macqueen recently led a special day for didi Rugby youngsters at Wasps RFC and she says this represents another great development for the company.

“We are so excited to announce our link with London Irish RFC,” she said. “Craig has done an amazing job to build links with such a strong, family-inspired club and we hope that link goes from strength to strength.”

Match tickets for didi stars and their families are priced at:
Adults – £10
Children 13 to 18 – £5
Under-13s – FREE.

It is a huge honour to welcome Wales rugby legend Gareth Thomas to our growing list of didi Rugby ambassadors.

Gareth was keen to become more involved and help children become more active after visiting Robyn Lock at the Swansea classes of didi.

He was there as the host of a BBC programme previewing the 2018 Six Nations tournament to recognise Robyn’s services to the sport in Wales.

Excited by what he saw, Gareth agreed to become a didi ambassador and will now join the didi family and bring all his enthusiasm and experience to the set-up.

With 100 Test match caps to his name, Gareth was the most-capped Wales rugby union player until he was overtaken by Stephen Jones in 2011. Gareth is the second-highest Wales try-scorer behind Shane Williams.

His club rugby saw him become influential for the likes of Bridgend, Cardiff and Toulouse and as an almost ever-present international, he lit up stadiums the world over with an incredible try-scoring record.

He also captained the British & Irish Lions in the second and third Tests on the 2005 tour of New Zealand.

Nicknamed ‘Alfie’, Gareth moved into broadcasting and the media after his retirement from the game. He was an analyst on the 2011 and 2015 World Cup and has also appeared on mainstream TV shows like Celebrity Big Brother and Dancing on Ice.

Katy Daley-Maclean, England Women’s World Cup-winning captain from the 2014 has become a didi Rugby ambassador.

A school teacher by trade, Katy says she knows the true value of getting young children involved in sport at such a young age.

And that is only one of the benefits of attending a didi Rugby class around the country.

“What an absolutely brilliant initiative this is, getting young children into our brilliant game of rugby,” she says.

“didi will improve their confidence, social skills and provide them with the ability to get active at such a young age.

“It is absolutely fantastic and something that I am very proud to become a part of. Take your young person and get involved in didi Rugby!”

Katy led England Women to World Cup glory as their captain when they beat Canada 23-9 in the final in France in 2014. She received an MBE in the 2014 New Year Honours list.

The World Cup win was one of a number of medals that Katy has won at the top of the women’s game and she is hugely respected throughout the sport.

She also represented Great Britain at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Rugby Sevens.

Find out more about didi Rugby and book your child onto a free taster session at one of a number of sites around the country.

Find out more about Katy and book her for public speaking at her personal website: http://www.katymclean10.com