WOMEN'S rugby is making important strides across in Cumbria, with last Sunday bringing the first ever Cumbria Girls District Rugby Festival.

For a large percentage of the girls this was their first experience of playing a competitive game, with teams from West Cumbria, the South Lakes and Barrow producing some remarkable rugby for a group still at the fledgling stage of their development.

The players who gathered at Furness RUFC in Barrow had all attended training sessions in their districts led by members of the Cumbria Rugby Development Team, which for most of the girls was their first experience of rugby coaching.

Attendance figures suggest a real enthusiasm for the sport.

Outstanding for the South Lakes side were Mayne, McMinn and Stafford, while the Barrow squad had the benefit of having three regional squad players in Tomlinson and the Hutchinson twins. However, O'Brien, Hardman and Ridyard also caught the eye on their first outing, while the West Cumbrians had a number of girls who really showed an aptitude for the game, notably Quail, Lamb and Blair.

The Festival was part of a structured programme devised by Cumbria's Rugby Development Officer, Liam Nicholls.

The Cumbria RFU Development Team aim to provide further playing and coaching opportunities for the girls next season through club, district & county formats.

All the girls involved in the festival will be invited to sessions over the summer.

Said Mark Harper, the Club and Coach Officer for the Rugby Football Union for Women: "The standard of play was very high, especially as for many of the players this was their first experience of the game.

"The players seemed to enjoy today and I hope they take the opportunity to continue playing and progress as far as they can in the game."