GrassRoots - Women's Rugby from the Roots Up

Welcome to episode 16, Season 2! The tale of woe continues with this season; we look at how we are trying to fix it and offer some advice, some more helpful than others to teams going through similar issues.   We have a special interview with the brilliant Shrewsbury Women and learn all about their journey in the game, especially now they are wearing lovely new Halbro Shirts sporting the gras...

Welcome to episode 15, Season 2! In this much delayed episode we apologise profusely for our incompetence and use a load of lame excuses, then discuss actual rugby excuses, some better than others.   We wring our hands with misery at the terrible season we’re having, and think of ways to fix it, discuss mental health and generally look at where things are at in the game.   Halbro join us...

Welcome to episode 14 of Season 2 of GrassRoots! In this tired and emotional episode we piece together the wreckage of the GrassRoots festival in Avonmouth, digest the weekend and celebrate all that was fantastic about another top weekend of rugby fun. We welcome back Cherie from her hiatus, hear all about her camping disaster and why you should check the bottle before tucking into the airport dut...

Welcome to a special Episode of GrassRoots! This is a LIVE panel discussion recorded at Avonmouth Claire’s RUFC in Bristol at the GrassRoots Festival. We discuss all things GrassRoots with rugby legend Rocky Clark, MBE, Ireland and Gloucester prop, Kathryn Buggy, ThePropLife, Jemma Norton and referee Fiona Brunt. In this fascinating and wide-ranging discussion hosted by Mollie, we cover everything...

Welcome to season 2, episode 14! In this off-season episode, we attempt, with varying degrees of success to do an in-person recording. This was harder than we initially thought, so please bear with us as we figure out the sound quality when we’re all together! We welcome Fudge from the fantastic Shrewsbury RUFC Ladies, Jody updates us on her latest injury, we discuss changing captains and pre-seas...

Welcome to Epside 12! In this episode we talk about 7s tournaments, pre-season training and getting ready for the new season. Jodie gets another injury, Matt goes for a Burton and we use Chat GPT to write a team talk. Cherie is still missing in action but do not fear, we'll get her back soon. Thanks for entering the competition - we will be announcing the winner in the next episode! To get in touc...

Welcome to Episode 11 of GrassRoots – Women’s Rugby from the Roots Up.   In this extra special episode we welcome the finalists from the Papa John’s Plate competition. Both Avonmouth Claire’s Ladies and Workington Zebra Finches had the honour of playing at Twickenham; we explore the day, what it meant for their respective teams, the joy of winning and the pain of losing.   It is a brilli...

Welcome to Episode 10 of GrassRoots – Women’s Rugby from the Roots Up.   This episode covers the end of season fights for promotion, relegation and the various cup competitions.   Mollie and Goose are preparing for an (unsuccessful) attempt at getting to Twickenham and we welcome back Fiona Brunt.   Fiona gives us a great behind the scenes tour of life as a ref when teams are feelin...

Welcome to Episode 9 of GrassRoots – Women’s Rugby from the Roots Up. County Rugby is nearly upon us, so we dissect the benefits and disadvantages of trials, and how we feel it could be better. We rather uncharacteristically give ourselves pats on the back, and Mollie celebrates 100 caps. Our guest interview is the very excellent Holly Feller, a prop turned Referee from Devon. She gives us a brill...

Welcome to Episode 8 of GrassRoots – Women’s Rugby from the Roots Up. In this special episode we meet the amazing Sue Anstiss. In a brilliant and wide-ranging interview, we discuss Sue’s work advocating women in sport, her amazing book ‘Game On, the Unstoppable Rise of Women’s in Sport’ and her upcoming documentary, Game On. Sue very kindly picks our ‘Bruise of the Month’ Winner, and gives us an a...

Welcome to Episode 7 of GrassRoots – this is definitely not one for the car on the school run, unless your kids are rugby players too, then they’ve probably heard worse. In one of our silliest episodes yet, ChezSez has an encounter with a rather vigorous Masseuse, and despite her protestations, ends up worse than when she started. We discuss gloating; where the line is and how to cross it. We dig...

Welcome to season 2, episode 6! In this meandering run towards the try-line of rugby chat from GrassRoots, we cover the usual blend of topics from the sublime to the ridiculous. We welcome the excellent Callie from The Columbia Bombshells in South Carolina, USA. Callie talks us through her journey from competition ski racer to rugby player, and what it’s like to play rugby in a country that doesn’...

An original and distinctly average pod play Performed by untrained actors Happy Christmas to all our listeners!

Welcome to season 2, episode 5! Here’s episode 5, another all you can eat buffet of rugby chat with some archaeology thrown in for good measure. We welcome Birkenhead Panthers, fresh off the pitch from a close fought draw versus Crewe and Nantwich Women where we hear about their team, their aims for the season and another Stupid Ref. Cherie is back in the saddle, or more specifically the mobility...

Welcome to season 2, episode 4! Veritable smorgasbord of rugby chat, we welcome back the fabulous Victoria Rush. Fresh from a UK tour of No Woman No Try, she joins us to discuss the missed drop goal of the World Cup Coverage and how to encourage more people to watch rugby. Jodie has managed to injure herself again and we talk about the recent case of a player suing an opposition player for a serio...

Welcome to season 2, episode 3! In this head-on-head contact of an episode we discuss Jodie’s latest injury and she updates us on The Bet. Mollie returns from her pod break, we dig up and resuscitate the stiff cadaver of ‘Fantasy 15’ with a Rugby World Cup theme and we discuss the trials, tribulations and car-crashes of inter-team relationships. Chez gets rucking and Jodie really doesn’t like Croc...

Welcome to episode 2 of Season 2 In this 4-person lineout of a podcast we discuss the withdrawal of Waterloo Women from the league after a long history of being one of the best teams in the North West and what it means for the wider game. We chat about the difference between wearing women’s fit kit and normal stash and Goose has some gossip. Sort of…. Jodie quits smoking (and makes a silly bet), J...

Welcome to Episode 1 of season 2. In this cross bar challenge of an episode, we discuss the GrassRoots festival, what worked, what we learnt and how we can't wait to do it again. Cherie gets cross with Lou and gets lost in Aberdare and we look forward to the new season. We resurrect 'Every Team's Got One' and introduce a new section 'Sh*t my coach says'. This podcast is hosted by Matt, Lou, Mollie...

Welcome to episode 23! In this squirrel-bothering episode we talk about our plans for the inaugural GrassRoots Festival, announce the team, finally and welcome the lovely Joey from Launceston Ladies to the podcast. Jodie brings some Gallic Flair to knock on / knock off with the usual rubbish results, we discuss pre-season friendlies and Goose pops in for a chat. Sadly our recording of ChezSez melt...

Welcome to episode 22 of GrassRoots, the only podcast able to bring club-level women’s rugby to life. In this pre-season friendly of an episode we discuss rugby’s relationship with alcohol, our tournament on the 27th August and ChezSez drinks the bar dry in Turkey whilst owning some Russian water polo players. We discuss sexuality within the game (briefly) and Dundee Valkyries come on the pod to t...

Welcome to episode 21 of GrassRoots - this is definitely not one for the car on the school run...... We discuss whether equipment should be adapted for the women's game, returning from injuries and ChezSez gets stuck in her End of Season dress. Jodie gets compared to a popular children's board game, we meet Tia from Yeovil Women and Carly from Bridgnorth Ladies. All in all this is a jam packed and...

Welcome to episode 20 of GrassRoots, the only podcasts solely dedicated to GrassRoots women’s rugby. In this crushing hangover of a podcast episode we discuss End of Season Awards Dinners and how one of them ended in our team falling apart….. Katie and Joyce step in for Mollie and Dubs and we welcome Hez from East Dorset Dockers and hear all about their fabulous kit and the work that they are doin...

This is episode 19 of GrassRoots, the only podcast solely dedicated to the grassroots women’s game. In this no-arms tackle of an episode, we talk to referee Fiona Brunt who is climbing the ranks both in the women and men’s game. Fiona gives us a brilliant insight into the reality of officiating and what it’s like when you’ve got 30 players all baying for your blood! Cherie misses a game due to Use...

This is Episode 18 of GrassRoots –Women's Rugby from the roots up. As the end of the first full season during covid approaches an exciting crescendo, we discuss the emotional rollercoaster of promotion and relegation; what it means, how to navigate it and how it is not always the best, or the worst thing to happen to your team. We change codes to meet the brilliant Rachel Ankomah, Manager and play...

Episode 16 part 2. Or episode 17 if you prefer. We welcome a guest host on the show – the hilarious Sarah from Exeter Saracens Ladies down in Devon. We discuss the challenges of keeping girls interested in rugby, the danger of showers in other clubs (a recurring theme), Jodie bamboozles us with Knock On, Knock off, and ChezSez introduces us to the mayhem of raising two girls. Joyce fills in for Mo...