Local rugby team, Thamesians Women rugby Team, has been named as grassroots RFU team of the month for January 2024.

Thamesians Women's rugby team was only established in 2018 but has been on a remarkable upward trajectory ever since.

Initially, the team comprised a handful of girls setting out to play 7s together.

After a summer of fun, the group decided to give the 15 aside game a shot and played a season of friendlies with great success, finishing as development cup finalists in 2019.

The team was also selected as the English representatives for a tournament to Zambia in 2020, which was unfortunately canceled due to COVID.

Thamesians Women rugby team were only established in 2018 but have been on a remarkable upward trajectory ever since. (Photo Credit: Jonathan Dunn).

The team started in the bottom tier of women's rugby (NC2).

They were deprived of an immediate promotion in their first season playing in NC2 due to absences of various players in a couple of key games due to Covid illnesses, but the following season (2022/23) the team achieved the promotion they fully deserved the previous year.

With the help of SporTedd funding the side purchased video analysis equipment to analyse their training and matches and help take their game to the next level.

This year Thamesians Women have taken NC1 by storm and are currently top of their league. 

This places them as the highest-achieving women's team in the borough, other than the Richmond RFC women's team.

The team is captained by Emelia Arbouine.

This places them as the highest achieving women's team in the borough, other than the Richmond RFC women's team. (Photo Credit: Jonathan Dunn).

The club raised funds for her to travel to the USA to represent Jamacia, where she was a try scorer against the USA. The team is packed full of some great players.

The team currently play at St Marys University after the Thamesians lost its playing space – first at Marble Hill, and then at Waldegrave School.

The hope is for an end to a nomadic existence and a permanent home at Udney Park playing fields.

All abilities are welcome from complete beginners to experienced players, and new recruits should either pitch up for introductory training at St Marys main campus on a Wednesday evening (7pm) or contact [email protected]