Hugely popular Wales international rugby star Jasmine Joyce will be the new lead of all didi rugby South Wales classes in the 2022.
Current sessions will remain in place across Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot and Jasmine is intending to add new venues to our offering in Wales throughout the New Year.
She plays for the Bristol Bears in the English Premiership and has taken part in the Commonwealth Games and World Cup.
The new owner of didi rugby South Wales, Jasmine Joyce
didi rugby is delighted to have such a well-known, talented and committed player join our winning team.
Jasmine takes over from Robyn Lock and Andrew O’Sullivan who are moving onto other ventures having done an amazing job of building up our didi rugby classes and spreading our values across south Wales over the past few years.
Jasmine Joyce
The founder and CEO of didi rugby, Vicky Macqueen, said she was excited to be working with someone who has unbridled passion for the game and getting more youngsters involved.
“It’s great that Jasmine Joyce has decided to join the didi family,” she said.
“She will bring a huge amount of passion to her classes and I am sure there will be lots of coaches in Wales who are going to learn so much from her.
“I am also certain that children who attend our classes in Wales will benefit from her knowledge, enthusiasm and experience.
didi rugby South Wales
“Jasmine is such a well-known star in Wales that I am sure there will be plenty of parents keen to meet her at classes too!
“We would like to thank Robyn and Andrew for all they have done for didi rugby in Wales and wish them all the best for their futures.”
didi rugby South Wales sessions will end for the festive period on December 19 and resume again on January 10.
Book your child’s place at any of our classes across the didi rugby South Wales offering by emailing info@didirugby.com
Find out where Jasmine’s classes will be held by visiting our ‘Find a Class’ page.
Find a didi rugby class in Ammanford at Penybanc RFC
Introduce your children to rugby at a young age with didi rugby classes at Penybanc RFC in Ammanford.
There are three age groups: 18 months to three years, three to four and four to six.
Our programme is designed to get kids active, teach them new skills and improve their co-ordination, speed and balance. It will also help them learn social skills while they have lots of fun in a positive, safe and friendly environment.
Find a didi rugby class in Swansea at Penlan Leisure Centre
Introduce your children to rugby at a young age with didi rugby classes at Penlan Leisure Centre in Swansea.
There are three age groups: 18 months to three years, three to four and four to six.
Our programme is designed to get kids active, teach them new skills and improve their co-ordination, speed and balance. It will also help them learn social skills while they have lots of fun in a positive, safe and friendly environment.
Five years to the day after Robyn Lock thought she would never play rugby again, the Ospreys back-rower was included in the Wales Women’s squad to play in this autumn’s internationals.
The didi rugby South Wales franchise owner’s story is one of those that make you sit up and take notice…and then go and tell everyone you know.
When Robyn was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2014, she steadfastly refused to let it define her life. Now, she is in line to win a first cap for her country when Wales play Spain in Madrid in early November. There will be plenty of people excited to see the words Robyn Lock will be on the team sheet.
Robyn’s selection will delight everyone who knows her. It will also inspire the hundreds of children and parents who have got to know her while she has taught at the ever-growing amount of didi rugby venues that now operate in south Wales following its launch last year.
“I felt very emotional when the squad was announced,” she said. “Every tackle I made, every extra minute in the gym and every time I said I couldn’t go out with friends because I needed an early night or wanted to work on my game, now seems all worth it.
Lymphoma
“It was my mum who pointed out that my call-up came five years to the day after I was diagnosed with lymphoma. When I think back to that time, I was so weak I could hardly walk 10 yards without taking a deep breath. It’s some transformation. I had a good cry when I found out and the realisation kicked in of what I had achieved.
“At first, I didn’t know whether or not to bring up the fact that I had lymphoma all of those years ago – but I want to use my story to hopefully help others.
“To be honest, I am really proud of what I have come through and I hope others who read this story, who may be suffering from something in their lives, can see that something knocked me off of my feet too – but it didn’t stop me being determined to make things better.”
An Ospreys’ regular, Robyn was rewarded for her consistency by being offered a spot in Wales ‘Top Up’ training sessions this summer and then moved up to the extended full squad for the build up to the autumn series where Wales will play Spain, Ireland, Scotland and the Barbarians.
International rugby
When the reduced squad was announced, Robyn was told she had earned a place in it and she naturally phoned her mum to tell her before anyone else.
Jaine Lock had been a huge part of her recovery from the initial diagnosis and was probably as proud as her daughter at the news that she had just become an international rugby player.
A nutritionist and personal trainer, Jaine moved back from New Zealand to become her daughter’s full-time carer after hearing news of her cancer five years ago.
At the time, she returned to see Robyn suffering from severe fatigue, struggling to sleep and itching all over her body. Six months of chemotherapy also saw her lose her hair.
Chemotherapy
The chances of Robyn ever having the energy to even walk onto a rugby field again, let alone make tackles and take hits seemed a mile away at the time.
“That had been taken away from me,” said Robyn. “I didn’t even feel well enough to go and watch a game because my immune system had been shot to pieces by chemotherapy. By this time, I was on all sorts of pills and was having panic attacks too. A real sense of doom took hold of me.
“But I also did not want cancer to be my identity. I didn’t want to be the girl with cancer. Rugby was my identity, right from a young age when I used to go and watch my dad and brother play and I didn’t want to lose that.
“My mum sat me down one day and asked: ‘What else do you want to do while you are battling this?’ and I told her that I wanted to play rugby again and come back fitter and stronger than when I left it.
“I was so lucky to have her and my family with me. Mum told me that she would never let me give up on that dream and she never let me lose that drive. She was true to her word.”
Beaten cancer
Robyn’s last chemotherapy session came in April 2015 and she went into remission. Her strength and energy slowly came back and her return to rugby came in the form of the Ospreys 7s training.
One day, after a particularly fast sprint in one session, a team-mate shouted: “Ah look…Lock’s back!”
It meant more to Robyn than her team-mate could ever know. She had beaten her cancer and the world was, once again, her oyster.
Wales begin their autumn series on November 3 in Madrid and if Robyn makes her debut she will be standing proud in a red jersey singing the national anthem with more reasons than most to shed the odd tear or two.
“I have watched my friends play for Wales and cheered them on for years, now I could be standing next to them and giving it all on the field. After what has happened, it really will be a dream come true,” she said.
Robyn Lock is co-owner of didi rugby South Wales and hosts classes in: Llanelli, Sketty, Swansea, Port Talbot, Gendros, West Cross, Neath, Glais and Ammanford. Book your child a free taster session here.
Find a didi rugby class in Swansea at St Catherine’s Church
Introduce your children to rugby at a young age with didi rugby South Wales classes at St Catherine’s Church in Swansea. There are three age groups: 18 months to three years, three to four and four to six.
Our programme is designed to get kids active, teach them new skills and improve their co-ordination, speed and balance. It will also help them learn social skills while they have lots of fun in a positive, safe and friendly environment.
These classes are ideal for children living in: Loughor, Llanelli, Gowerton, Penllergaer, Grovesend, Dunvant and Three Crosses.
Find a didi rugby class in Swansea at West Cross Community Centre
Introduce your children to rugby at a young age with didi rugby classes at West Cross Community Centre in Swansea. There are three age groups: 18 months to three years, three to four and four to six.
Our programme is designed to get kids active, teach them new skills and improve their co-ordination, speed and balance. It will also help them learn social skills while they have lots of fun in a positive, safe and friendly environment.
These didi rugby South Wales classes are ideal for children living in: Norton, Murton, Bishopston, West Cross, Kittle, Langland, Mumbles, Caswell, Langrove and Swansea.
