Launch Archives

July 20, 2021

didi rugby Cornwall will fly out of the blocks in Truro

A boy runs away from chasers with a didi rugby Cornwall ball in his hand

One of didi rugby’s most exciting launches in years will take place in August.

didi rugby Cornwall will fly out of the blocks in central Truro on Saturday 21 August.

Fun for all ages from 18 months to 6 years will run from 9am to 11.30am with a real family activities day being planned for all.

The launch will take place at Boscawen Park and will be attended by didi rugby founder and former England international, Vicky Macqueen.

Boscawen Park

It will also feature former England star and didi rugby ambassador, Heather Fisher who will be playing games with children and signing autographs.

The launch is the first phase of plans that are being put in place by didi rugby Cornwall owners Chris Morrison and Ross Denning to spread didi rugby far and wide throughout this rugby-mad county.

“Sports that are fun and engaging is what we’re all about. The fact that it is through rugby, a game that we have tremendous respect for is giant plus,” they said.

“Cornwall has a long history of producing great rugby talent, from its county representation in the national championships to professional and international representation from the likes of Phil Vickery, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Jack Nowell and Lucy Demaine to name a few.

Truro Rugby Club

“We are privileged to work with local rugby clubs and schools to bring the game to girls and boys from 18 months to 6 years.

“It’s a great privilege to be bringing the didi rugby brand to Cornwall. Vicky and the didi family have been nothing short of amazing and supportive on our journey to launching this great platform.”

didi rugby Cornwall have already formed a development link to Truro Rugby Club. Part of the didi ethos is to build partnerships with local clubs to offer youngsters a natural pathway to keep playing the game when they become too old for didi classes at the age of 7.

didi founder and CEO Vicky Macqueen said they were hoping to build links with other clubs in the county as soon as possible.

Getting children active

“Chris and Ross are keen to get as many children and parents involved in our wonderful sport as possible.

“They have a real passion for getting children active and having fun and have already been receiving some great sport from the local community as they put their plans in place.

“We can’t wait to get started at Boscawen Park.”

Classes on the launch date will run as follows…

minis – 18 months to 3 years – 9-00am to 9.40am

juniors – 3 years to 4 years – 9.50am to 10.30am

seniors – 4 years to 6 years – 10.40am to 11.20am

To secure your child’s free place, please contact cornwall@didirugby.com or visit our Find a Class page online and book from there:

WATCH: didi ambassador Emily Scarratt loves helping out at a didi rugby class…

July 9, 2021

Shelford RFC to host didi rugby South Cambridgeshire launch and classes

didi rugby South Cambridgeshire lead Amanda Jones at Shelford RFC

didi rugby’s new franchise lead for south Cambridgeshire is the sort of person you would want on your side in the trenches.

Meet Amanda Jones.

Shelford RFC’s new rugby development officer will be heading up the launch of new didi rugby classes attached to the club from the launch date of July 31 onwards.

Having grown up on the streets of Port Talbot in Wales and been in the army for eight years, Amanda has been used to battling for the things she believes in all of her life and has harboured a desire to pave her own way in some traditionally male-dominated environments.

Values of didi rugby

Previously, that has included gender inequality in rugby and encouraging more children with physical and learning difficulties to get involved in the sport.

Her latest challenge is to spread the values of didi rugby far and wide across the south Cambridgeshire region and, with a committed club totally behind her, she is naturally looking forward to it.

“I have previously been involved with setting up a girls team for 11 to 17-year-olds from scratch which attracted 30 members on two years,” said Amanda. “It helped being persuasive, passionate and female!

“I have also been fighting against gender inequality too and tried to tackle why so many dads bought their sons to rugby but not many mums bought their daughters to rugby.”

Amanda has also worked for the RFU as a community coach and the Saracens Foundation as a project officer around inclusivity which involved trying to encourage kids with physical and learning difficulties into rugby.

“That was really rewarding,” said Amanda. “I remember one child who really struggled to talk but loved the social side of rugby and now talks really well.”

Passion

That passion to help people is still burning bright as Amanda begins her role as the didi rugby lead for South Cambridgeshire at Shelford RFC, where classes will take place on a regular basis after a big launch on Saturday 31 July.

“Shelford see a vision which is not just about men’s rugby. Now we will have children from 18 months involved in the club and a pathway for them to keep on enjoying all the good things that rugby brings.

“There will be some children of that age who, due to the pandemic, have never had a chance to properly socialise with kids their own age.

“My sister had a baby boy during lockdown and now I have an 18-month-old nephew who struggles to interact.

Build confidence

“Not only will didi rugby give them the chance to build their confidence in social settings, it will also give parents of these children a chance to enjoy being out with other parents of kids the same age too.”

didi rugby founder and CEO Vicky Macqueen said she was excited about the didi rugby coming to Shelford RFC.

“This is a club with fantastic and inclusive values that are perfectly aligned with what we are trying to achieve at didi rugby,” she said.

“I have been hugely impressed by their plans and ideas to build a strong didi rugby base and I can feel the passion of the people involved in the club.

“Amanda is great. She is a tremendously driven individual and a background in inclusivity. She has an infectious personality which will be ideal for bringing didi rugby to the local community.”

If you would like to secure your free place at the big didi rugby launch at Shelford RFC on July 31, please contact rdo.shelfordrfc@gmail.com

Amanda can also be contacted for more information about the times and dates of the regular classes that will follow. Free taster sessions are available to everyone.

Find out more about Shelford RFC.

WATCH: didi rugby LIVE with World Cup winner and didi ambassador,
Emily Scarratt…

December 7, 2020February 23, 2021

didi rugby Walsall to launch on Saturday 12 December

A poster saying didi rugby Walsall launches on Saturday 12 December

The launch of didi rugby Walsall will take place on Saturday 12 December and head coach Michelle Higgs cannot wait to welcome local children and parents for some free fun and activity.

Handsworth RFC is the host venue for the launch which will see classes for two didi rugby age groups: 18 months to 3 years and 4 years to 6 years.

An extra class for the 18 months to 3 years age group has been put on to satisfy demand.

The local community have reacted so well to the planned start of didi rugby classes that Michelle will be putting on a second free taster weekend the following Saturday with the same times to make sure that everyone can sample a didi rugby day before Christmas.

Memberships will then start after the festive period with regular classes taking place from January 9 onwards.

Head coach Michelle has been playing rugby for 11 years, spent the last six years at Handsworth RFC and has also been coaching girls rugby for the last four years too.

didi rugby Walsall

She has already been part of the didi rugby family for a year, helping to coach in other areas before deciding to launch her own classes.

Michelle said she was looking forward to meeting new faces from Walsall and the surrounding areas and is keen to introduce both parents and children to the values of didi rugby: fun, confidence and activity.

“I enjoy coaching for didi rugby because it’s a different coaching experience to coaching teenagers,” she said.

“Having a run around with the younger children is great. Making the sessions fun and active, seeing them laughing and enjoying themselves, and then watching them improve each week is very rewarding.

Active

“It’s about giving them as much opportunity to be active, healthy and sporty from a young age, which then gives them a great start to a healthy lifestyle as they grow up.

“You get to discover their little personalities and characteristics, and though my job is make to sure they have fun and enjoy our didi sessions, I usually end up walking away just as smiley as they do.

“I absolutely love coaching didi rugby and can’t wait to get going.”

didi rugby founder and CEO Vicky Macqueen will be there to support the launch and she added: “Michelle already knows didi rugby inside out having been a coach for a year.

Class times

“So she is very experienced and knows just how to make sure that her Walsall classes will teach children to grow in both physical literacy and confidence.

“She has partnered with a club in Handsworth RFC who know her well and have been very supportive in the build up to her launch. We are grateful to the local community too for their support and are excited to see lots of smiling faces.”

Class times are….

9.00-9.40: 18 months to 3 years

9.45-10.25: 18 months to 3 years

10.30-11.10: 4 years to 6 years

** To book your child a free taster sessions, email michelle.higgs@didirugby.com or book online by clicking here.

LISTEN: The first didi rugby pod is out now featuring England’s Sarah Hunter – listen here

WATCH: England Rugby star Alex Matthews launches didi rugby Worcester…

August 24, 2020August 24, 2020

Extra sessions laid on for didi rugby Harrogate launch

Mike Barnett wearing a didi rugby hoodie

The numbers of excited children and parents attending the launch of didi rugby Harrogate on Saturday 19 September have gone through the roof!

With all scheduled classes across the three didi age groups filling up at a tremendous pace, franchise owners Mike and Lucy Barnett have added another class for their minis (18 months to 3 years old).

And they have promised that if numbers continue to rise, they will not see anyone left out of what promises to be a fantastic day at Harrogate RUFC.

“The response we have received so far has been overwhelming,” said Lucy. “We are really looking forward to welcoming everyone and introducing lots of children to our fun didi rugby sessions.

“Over 40 children have already booked in to the three taster sessions we are offering and, due to the high demand, we have now added another one too.

“If this becomes full, we want to assure parents and children that we will add further classes if necessary. We don’t want anyone to miss out.

“Our aim at didi rugby Harrogate is to get children active as young as possible to aid their development, confidence and skills so we are thrilled that so many little ones want to come along and see what we have on offer.

“It’s going to be a fantastic fun day and we can’t wait to get started on our new didi journey.”

The launch will be didi rugby’s second new area launch since the end of blanket lockdown restrictions. didi rugby Suffolk opened its doors in Leiston last month.

Barnett family

The Harrogate team of Lucy, Mike, Maisie and Martha Barnett will make it very much a family affair with a team that is dedicated to helping children have fun, stay active and grow in confidence.

Mike and Lucy have an extensive background in both rugby and teaching and their popularity in the local area is proving obvious with the amount of interest shown in their launch day and future classes with didi rugby Harrogate.

didi rugby CEO and owner Vicky Macqueen says she is delighted not only for Mike and Lucy and all of the hard work they have put in so far, but also because of the response to didi classes returning across the country since the end of lockdown.

“I am confident that Mike, Lucy and Maisie will do an amazing job spreading the values of didi rugby right across the area in and around Harrogate,” says Vicky.

“They have worked incredibly hard to let people know about didi rugby and the response has been absolutely wonderful from the public.

“We have seen parents flocking back to didi rugby in recent weeks with one of our areas doubling their membership in just six weeks. Parents are keen to get their children active and have responded to our safely-delivered, outdoor classes in numbers.

“We are all really chuffed that didi rugby – and our newly-launched didi cricket sessions too – are thriving after such a tumultuous period in everyone’s lives.

“I cannot thank our children, parents, carers and supporters enough for continuing the spread of didi sports around the UK and beyond.”

Keep up to date with the latest news from didi rugby Harrogate by following their Facebook page.

October 25, 2019October 25, 2019

didi rugby Grantham to launch at Kesteven Rugby Club

Children enjoy a didi rugby class ahead of the launch of didi rugby Grantham at Kesteven Rugby Club

There will be plenty of fun and games to be had when didi rugby Grantham opens its doors to the public with a launch event on Saturday 16 November at Kesteven Rugby Club.

It will be the start of a new franchise which is being run by local resident Kerri Arlando.

Beginning at 9.00am, free taster sessions are on offer to anyone who wants to come along and see what didi rugby is all about as we try to spread the values of fun, confidence and activity throughout Lincolnshire and beyond.

Each one of the three didi rugby age groups will have a session on the day and they cover 18 months to 3 years, 3 years to 4 years and 4 years to 6 years of age.

Regular classes will then begin the following Saturday (23^rd) from 9.00am and midweek sessions will also kick off on Wednesday mornings at 9.30am from 27 November.

‘didi rugby is perfect’

Understandably, Kerri can’t wait to get things up and running with didi rugby Grantham at a club she already has strong links with.

Kerri still plays rugby and coaches the Under-11s, meanwhile husband Dimitri coaches the Under-13s. And with two boys Leonard (12) and Alfred (10) playing the game too, rugby features heavily in the Arlando family’s weekly routine.

But with her own children growing up fast, Kerri says she misses the interaction of the little ones and so, with a high demand for something like didi rugby in the area, she decided to set up a franchise.

“didi rugby is perfect for what I want to do,” said Kerri. “It is something I can do when they kids are at school and is something that I really love because I love coaching the little kids. They are so funny and I know that my forte.

“We have had lots of parents asking how old you have to be to join the club at Kesteven but we do not have anything below our under-6s, so didi rugby can get them involved from a very young age.

Kesteven Rugby Club

“Lots of parents at the club have got small children and as soon as they find out that didi rugby is here, I am sure they bring their kids along as well. I am hoping it is going to be really good.”

didi rugby founder and CEO, Vicky Macqueen, said that Kerri’s passion for what she is doing is obvious.

“Kerri loves what she does and she is a well-known and popular figure around the area so we are all sure she will create a cracking atmosphere for little ones to come along and have some fun and learn some new skills.”

To book your child on for a free taster session at Kesteven on launch day or any of the other classes on offer, by visiting here

Watch: VIDEO – didi rugby launches partnership with the Burford Academy in style

Find out more about Kesteven Rugby Club by visiting their website