First women’s rugby team on the cards for Pakistan

Forming squad part of sport’s development, says coach Coombs.

KARACHI: Pakistan Rugby Union’s (PRU) technical director and head coach Roger Coombs has expressed an interest in forming a women’s rugby team as part of the overall development of the sport in the country.

Coombs, who joined the PRU last year, has been working on developing rugby at the grass-roots level through a coaching program.

He also held sessions with 10 coaches in Lahore last week; however, he said that it was a small part of a bigger plan.

The Welshman is also spearheading the International Rugby Union’s (IRB) ‘Get into rugby’ programme in Pakistan.

“The 10 coaches we had in the session were qualified up to the level one certificate,” Coombs told The Express Tribune. “We are also working in Multan, Islamabad and Karachi. We need more coaches here who can further train the school coaches at the grass-root level development.

“We had sports coaches from Beaconhouse School System and women sports trainers have also shown interest.”

‘We have around 50 women who are interested’

According to Coombs, Pakistan is the only Asian country where women’s rugby is not established yet.

He added that so far, he has 50 women participants and the task has great potential.

“It’s going to be easier than you think. I’ve previously coached a women rugby team in the UK. It’s a new sport here but we need to get going as soon as possible.

“I’ll be going to the hockey stadium and we’ll also try to have a separate camp for women exclusively. So far we have around 50 women who are interested in playing rugby; they are from Multan and Islamabad as well, but they’ll need time as it is a new sport for them.”

The coach further said that having the Asian 5 Division III tournament in June will also give exposure to women.

The men’s tournament will feature Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan in Lahore.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 24^th, 2014.

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