Author: admin

DIDI RUGBY WINS ‘AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE’ FROM LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE 
It has been a wonderful week for the didi Rugby team after the company picked up an award from a lifestyle magazine.

The Living in the Shires Magazine has presented didi Rugby with an ‘Award of Excellence’ for the ‘Tried and Tested Activity of the Year’.

Living in the Shires has a readership of over 30,000 people and it read by over 3,000 businesses.

The award is given for a high quality of service that the magazine believes didi offers to thousands of children and parents.

Owner Vicky Macqueen said it was an honour to receive it.

“It is a fantastic feeling to get honoured for what you do and I am extremely grateful to the Living in the Shires Magazine for giving us recognition.

“The magazine is a well-respected part of the community covering business, lifestyle and leisure and for them to pick didi out of dozens of nominations is a huge feather in our cap.

“I am very proud of the team behind didi Rugby and for the coaches who promote our values around the country in our classes. This award is for all of you.”

We are thrilled to annouce didi Rugby Reading have joined the didi UK team under the awesome leadership of Craig Hunter.  Craig is currently Mini/Junior Chairman of Reading RFC, after five years of Club Chairman, his commitment and dedication to Reading Rugby Club is second to none.

Vicky – Founder of didi Rugby – said
” I am so excited to launch didi Rugby Reading with Craig Hunter at the helm, I know his passion and enthusiasm will ensure all the little ones of Reading get the opportunity to enjoy didi Rugby, and therefore get lots more children physically active and involved in our wonderful game!”

Craig said

“I was involved with football ever since I can remember and playing rugby was not really on the radar until the latter part of my time at secondary school, when I joined Reading RFC as a 14-year-old.

That was 41 years ago. Since then, I have been fortunate enough to play for Reading RFC from Under-15s through to Colts and 1st XV level and have also represented Berkshire at Colts level too.

I retired from playing due to injury but I continued my connection and have been part of running the club in many capacities, mostly in a voluntary capacity.

I have had the privilege of being club chairman for five years and over the last three years, I have held the post of youth chairman; this most recent role is something I have really enjoyed; watching the young future players learning to develop and love the sport.

Over this time I have witnessed how rugby and its core values, TREDS – Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline and Sportsmanship – have literally changed lives and created life-long friendships, not only at Reading but across the world. My recent trip to New Zealand to watch the British & Irish Lions reinforced this!

At Reading RFC, we provide many variations of the game for boys, girls, men and women – the latter through a highly successful girls section, which is growing all the time.

Over the last few years, we have added Walking Rugby, and currently I am involved in developing Berkshire Banshees Wheelchair Rugby Club, for the county of Berkshire and surrounding areas.

Like many clubs, we provide youth rugby from the age of Under-6, however one area we have not managed to cater for is the Under-5s – until now that is.

Having been introduced to Vicky Macqueen and didi Rugby, I firmly believe what she is offering is an excellent developmental programme for children from 18 months through, until they start at Under-6s or Under-7s at club rugby.

I am delighted to announce that didi Rugby is coming to Reading and will be launched in February 2018, at Reading RFC and the surrounding areas. The aim is to offer educational, developmental and fun sessions to as many young children (boys and girls) as possible, to help start their love of sport and activity.

This is open to all children from 18 months; you don’t need to be from a rugby family and may know nothing about the sport, but if you are looking for something to engage and excite your children from an early age, why not let them have a go and have a little taste of the sport we love so much?

We invited Geraldine Ross – Head of Schools Westwood Farm Schools Federation – to let us know what she thought of a taster session we held at a school recently.

• 11 England rugby caps
• Current Harlequins FC player
• Level 3 Personal Trainer
• British Red Cross Event First Aider
• Teaching Assistant in a Special Educational Needs school for 5+ years.

Hannah has been a member of the didi Rugby team since April 2017 as head coach for the didi Rugby Harlequins division.

She is about to head-up the latest didi franchise to launch in the UK with the Ascot and Windsor branches set to provide quality coaching for children in the area.

Hannah has 11 caps for England’s Red Roses (5 for 15s, 6 for rugby 7s) and currently plays for the women’s branch of Harlequins in the Tyrell’s Premier 15s League.

She is a certified Level 3 personal trainer, as well as a volunteer first aider at the British Red Cross. She has previously worked with Abbey Ladies RFC and the Berkshire College of Agriculture 1st XV rugby team as a strength and conditioning coach, which has given her first hand experience of the need to develop key motor skills and athletic components during children’s early years.

Hannah says she cannot wait to get started spreading the didi values throughout Ascot and Windsor.

didi rugby is proud to announce didi rugby Swansea which will be running under the awesome duo Robyn Lock and Andrew O’Sullivan who both live and breathe the core values that under-pin didi rugby.

They are super excited to start their didi rugby journey, already planning sessions at different venues with some dynamic and exciting coaches coming into the team!  ​Their ultimate aim is getting more children physiclly active and a part of the rugby family.

Vicky Macqueen founder of didi rugby said;

” I am so excited to have Robyn and Andrew on board, they are just perfect to run didi rugby Swanse, their passion and enthusiasm for getting little ones involved in didi rugby is awesome.”

” I cant wait to support them through their journey!”

Robyn began her rugby career at Swansea University having played netball for 10 years and went on to play for the Uni team, Swansea RFC and then the Ospreys. She is now a qualified Welsh Rugby Union coach.

“I have always been in love with sports, but rugby has been the one to help me grow as an individual,” said Robyn.

“Thanks to rugby, I am now more confident, happier and healthier and am surrounded by my friends all of the time. I love every second that I am in a rugby environment, whether that be recreational or competitive.

“My role as an Active Young People Officer has allowed me to witness the positive impact that play and physical learning can have on youngsters. By combining that with the experience and opportunities that rugby can provide, with an added element of fun, children will develop a positive association with physical activity.

“Just as rugby allowed me to grow, I believe that didi Rugby can help children grow too. I see didi rugby as a great gift to your child because you are enabling them to gain fundamental skills which will act as the building blocks their physical activity journey.”

Andrew started his rugby early on in his life, playing touch rugby for Glais RFC. He began to find his feet in his mid-teens and was selected for Swansea Schoolboys , as a prop.

Andrew is still an avid Ospreys fan and long-time season ticket holder at the Liberty Stadium and his passion for the game remains as strong as ever.

“I have always loved sport because it has created some of the best moments in my life, whether that is through the thrill of the game or more importantly, through the friendship and bonds the sport creates,” he said.

“For this reason, I believe so strongly in the didi Rugby programme. Getting kids to realise what a fulfilling life experience sport and physical activity can be as early as possible can only set them up for a physically, socially and mentally healthy life.”