Category: Ambassadors

Ambassador Charlie Clare says didi rugby is great for instilling the values of leadership and camaraderie in youngsters.

Speaking at didi rugby’s annual Presentation Day, the new Leicester Tigers signing said he loved being a part of helping kids get involved in the sport at such a young age.

“didi is a great thing to get kids involved with, as you can see on days like this,” he said. “I’m so excited to get involved with didi rugby.

“There are so many qualities that rugby brings with it, like leadership and camaraderie. The earlier you can get kids to experience that, the better,” he said.

“didi gives young children the chance to learn not only physical skills and get them active, but they also get the opportunity to learn about the values of the game and that is important too.

“I can’t wait to get down and do my part in educating the next generation.”

It didn’t take England and Saracens’ lock forward Poppy Cleall long to agree to become a didi rugby ambassador when asked.

Having begun playing the game she loves at the tender age of six at an after-school club, Norwich-born Poppy is one of life’s do-ers.

Raising money for charities has seen her trekking mountain ranges in Nepal and cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats.

On the pitch, Poppy has been equally ambitious and successful. A Grand Slam Six Nations winner with England and a World Cup runner-up, the back-row forward has just won a national title with Saracens after beating Harlequins 24-20 in a thrilling Tyrrells Premiership final in 2018.

She now shares the Saracens changing room with younger twin, Bryony and is happy they are on the same side: “We are very competitive and that’s why I have joined Sarries because I am not playing against her any more!”

Poppy is a versatile forward and started all five games in the 2018 Six Nations playing at No.8, blindside flanker and second-row.

Having started playing so young, she believes didi rugby is doing a great job of spreading the game to the next generation and has been spending time with Ben and Sarries team mate Georgie Gulliver at the Bedfordshire franchise.

“When Ben and Georgie first took on the Didi rugby Bedfordshire, I couldn’t think of two better people to hang out with on a weekend and learn rugby with,” she said.

“I have seen the great work that didi rugby is doing through the photos and videos on social media and all the kids having a great time.

“So when they asked me to be an ambassador, I didn’t take long to reply. What’s better then getting to pick up a ball on a weekend and make some friends – whatever age you are!”

Giselle Mather is a passionate and dedicated coach who is driving on Wasps Ladies’ tilt at the Tyrrells Women’s Premiership title as their director of rugby.

A member of the England side that won the 1994 World Cup, Giselle holds a Level 4 coaching qualification – the highest grade attainable in the UK.

She is ambitious too and, having enjoyed successful coaching stints with Teddington RFC, London Irish and England Women at senior and Under-20s level, Giselle is very open to get involved in the men’s Premiership in the future.

Now she is firmly entrenched in a new challenge and furthering her knowledge with a committed and exciting team of players.

During her playing career, Giselle earned 34 caps for her country.

didi rugby owner Vicky Macqueen has first-hand experience of just how good a coach Giselle is having been under her guidance during her early days in the national set-up.

“She was my first England A coach,” said Vicky. “I first met her on European Championship duty when I was picked to play for England ‘A’ in France in 2001.

“She continued to coach me for England A and then England, for quite a few years afterwards.

“I recently played with her in the England Legends v Ireland Legends game around the time of the World Cup in 2017 and it was a really special moment for me.

“I had always looked up to her and respected her so much, so to actually put my boots on with her and play together was fantastic.

“I am delighted she is now a part of what we are doing at didi rugby.”

Mike Friday has a habit of making a big impact on the international Sevens circuit.

Currently the head of the USA Sevens team, his coaching and mentoring helped the Eagles rise from 13^th place in the 2013/14 IRB Sevens Series up to a sixth-placed finish in his first year.

They remained in the top six for each of his first three years in charge – a tremendous achievement for a country seen as not one of the World’s biggest top 10 rugby-playing nations.

Before accepting the America job, Mike was head coach of the Kenya Sevens team, leading them up the IRB rankings from 12^th to 5^th after his first season in charge.

But it was Kenya’s third-placed finish in the World Cup Rugby Sevens in 2013 that really caught the eye and made the USA come calling for his services.

The former scrum-half, who played club rugby for Wasps and Harlequins, started his Sevens coaching career with England and became their head coach in 2004.

He led them to 2^nd and 3^rd-placed finishes in the World Rugby Sevens Series in his first two seasons and saw his side win a medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Mike coached didi rugby founder Vicky Macqueen in 2009 and, after hearing about her values and aims for the business, was more than happy to get involved an become an ambassador.

“I am a big supporter of didi rugby because it is a great way to get young kids active, healthy and enjoying the great game that we all love,” said Mike.

“I have been fortunate enough to have been around the sport of rugby for most of my life and know the positive impact it has on those who play and support the game.

Charlotte Pearce made her England debut in the 2018 Six Nations just seven years after she first picked up a rugby ball.

And while none of our didi rugby stars will be able to break that record, she is happy to become involved in sharing the values and fun of the sport with children.

Charlotte joined England colleague Amy Cokayne at the launch of didi rugby South Warwickshire in May 2018.

Earlier that year, she had made her international debut off the bench in England’s 42-7 win over Italy in Regio Emilia.

She only began playing the game in her first year at Edge Hill University and joined her first club, Ormskirk the following season.

After postgraduate study at Loughborough University, Charlotte earned a contract with Loughborough Lightning and was a frequent try-scorer for them in the inaugural season of the Tyrrells Premier 15s, leading to regular national training camp call-ups in 2017.

Then her full debut arrived the following year. With a black belt in karate at the age of 11, this didi ambassador is not to be messed with and we are delighted she has joined the didi family for her big smile and her infectious energy around the kids.

Danielle ‘Nolli’ Waterman retired from the international game in 2018 to sign off a stellar career which has made her one of the most recognisable faces in Women’s rugby.

The latest member of England’s World Cup-winning team of 2014 to become a didi rugby ambassador, she has played for more than 15 years at the top level of the game and earned 82 international caps, scoring 47 tries.

She is an Olympian having represented Great Britain in Rio in 2016 and is the only player in the world to have played in four World Cup and the Olympics.

She will continue to play her club rugby at Wasps next season.

Nolli (“My brother called me ‘Danny Ollie’ and so my dad shortened it to Nolli”) wanted to become a didi rugby ambassador after helping launch the Gloucestershire franchise in June 2018.

And having grown up playing the game in a rugby family, it is no surprise that she wants to encourage a new generation of players to enjoy the game.

Her father Jim is a legend at Bath having played over 400 games for them in the 60s, 70s and 80s and both of her brothers have played at county level for Somerset.

Nolli has often been a pundit on TV and has worked for Sky Sports and the BBC.

“didi rugby is such a brilliant programme for little ones and I loved getting to help Susie Appleby at the launch of didi Gloucestershire,” she said.

“I was shown how to do it by my dad at the age of four but I also have a lot to thank my two older brothers for as we would play one-on-one in the garden every moment that we could.

“If I wanted to play with them I had to be good enough so with full contact, I had to learn to avoid them early doors. Being a smaller player throughout my career it’s held me in good stead.”