Sunday 16th January 2011 saw the Cougars travel to Norwich to take on Lakenham Hewett.

This was their first game since a long break over the Christmas period and due to bad weather in December. Unfortunately for the Cougars the long journey seemed to take its toll on the players who took a long time to settle into their game.

Nerves led to the oppositions’  first try being scored early on, which buoyed Lakenham further. The score line remained 5-0 for the rest of the half, and valiant defending by the Cougars kept them in the game. When they did get possession though, the Cougars lost too much ball in contact which led to more defending, and frustration setting in amongst the Cougars.

The second half started brightly for the Cougars who seemed to of gained some confidence but unfortunately a second try was conceded in the corner after some good handling put the winger in for a try.  This was quickly followed by a penalty to the opposition after an offence at a ruck.

They capitalised by taking it quickly and catching the defence sleeping. At 15-0 down, the Cougars picked up the pace of the game, and showed what they could do with ball in hand. Strong running in the forwards led to spaces being created out wide but the Cougars were unfortunate not to turn this pressure into scores in the final quarter.

In a tough physical battle the home team came out on top, but the Cougars could be proud of their determination and attitude which saw them battle to the final whistle. A great debut performance from Danielle Titterington earned her coaches player of the game, and players player went to Belinda Lloyd who as ever put in fierce tackles all around the park.

This week the Cougars are on the road again, travelling to Team Northumbria where they will face another tough battle, this time fourth position in the league is at stake.

The Cougars are launching a recruitment drive next week. Women over 18 who fancy trying rugby for the first time are invited to come along. Training will be focused on building skills with friendly games organised in February and March for those who wish to try out what they have learnt on the pitch.

For more information contact Lucy on 07912110785 or email carlislecougars@hotmail.co.uk

Sunday 21st November saw the Cougars playing another hard game against second in the league Camphill away in Birmingham.

After a long journey down the Cougars took to the field with a reduced squad. They started well, chasing the ball hard from kick off and pinning Camphill into their 22.

Eventually through good defence they pressurised Camphill into conceding a succession of penalties. Holly Freestone squeezed through the Camphill defence and over the line to score the first try of the game. The initial score woke Camphill up and they stepped up their play. From here on in, the homeside dominated the game.

Stronger at the scrum, using fast hands, good pace and angles they returned the pressure onto Carlisle. Carlisle repeatedly scrambled defence but Camphill were too strong. The first half ended 42:5. The Cougars changed ends, and now had the advantage of playing down the hill and with the wind.

Their defence firmed up and they started to put big tackles in across the pitch, with Captain Lucy Meadley (players player) and number 8 Sarah Elsy (coaches player) leading the way. Emily Turner also had a good defensive game outwide, making some try saving tackles. With ball in hand again Cougars found some confidence and with strong running from centre Holly Freestone starting the move, eventually a gap opened up for scrum half Philippa Bell to slip through and score again outwide.

A skillful conversation was added by Lisa Ritchie who will miss next weeks game due to Scotland training. After a much improved second half the final score finished Camphill 74:Carlisle 12.

The Cougars next home game is Sunday 28th November 2.15 pm Kick off. All support welcome.  

Penrith RUFC hosted Cumbria’s first ever senior Women’s rugby union fixture against Northumbria on Sunday.

Cumbria started strongly from kick off, applying pressure to the Northumberland team and forcing them into an early mistake. This allowed the forwards to set a solid platform and the backs followed up making good yards up the pitch. The first try came from a solid line-out, Kati Brown taking it well and then shipped out to the backs quickly. Strong running in the centres put Hannah Sherlock over the line under the sticks for the first try to Cumbria. Northumberland came back strongly and pinned Cumbria back onto their try line, this sustained pressure eventually led to a penalty, Northumberland opted for the kick, and narrowly missed the sticks. The Cumbria team then worked hard to relieve the pressure and move the ball back into the other half of the park. After sustained pressure, it was the Cumbria team who took the next points when prop Lucy Meadley powered over the line from 5m out. Northumberland struck back, after Cumbria’s indiscipline around the fringes gave away an easy penalty which Northumberland capitalized on to get their first points on the board to take the score to 12-7. Great play from the centres in both defence and attack kept the Cumbrian’s on the offensive for large parts of the game, and it was this that led to Sherlocks second try after full back Julie Hope had jinked her way through the Northumberland defence. Sarah Elsy came off the bench in the second half, and carried the ball well in attack and tackled ferociously in defence which steadied the Cumbria team. In the last ten minutes it was the Cumbrians who looked more likely to score but unfortunately couldn’t quite find the final pass to break the Northumberland defence. Hope was unlucky not to get on the score board on two occasions in the final minutes of the game. The final score was 17-7 to the home team and it was a solid first game for the county side. Hannah Sherlock was coaches player and Lucy Meadley players player of the match. Cumbria’s under 18 girls combined with Durham to beat Northumberland 14-7, and the under 15s girl’s were beaten 20-14 in a tightly contested game. RFU council representative for Cumbria Roger Hackney said “It was great for the senior ladies county team to win their first game, and for the girls to host Northumberland across in Silloth, I’d like to thank all the volunteers who have worked behind the scenes to make it possible for Cumbria to compete at this level.”

The next County fixture will see both the seniors and girl’s take on Lancashire at the Vale of Lune on 12th of December.

Lakenham Hewett, were this weeks visitors to Warwick Road and following their 2 recent wins the Cougars were hungry for another victory.

With fly half Lisa Ritchie away with the Scotland squad Katie Wigham stepped up to fly half putting Vic Parker in at inside centre. The pair tackled ferociously all match with Lakenham hitting the ball up hard all over the park.

Vic Parker got the first try on the board after solid work from the forwards released quick ball for the backs to run in out wide. The next try came from outside centre Julie Hope who found gaps in the defence that only she could pick out. Simone Lynn stepped up to take the conversions and slotted that one ably through the sticks.

The Cougars were forced into a change when flanker Belinda Lloyd had to leave the field through injury, this brought Jes Barnes onto the flank, she carried the ball well and supported the forwards around the park. A solid performance from number 8 Laura Cunningham, took pressure off the Cougars on many occasions making yards every time she carried the ball and earning her coaches player.

From the restart Lakenham put pressure on the Cougars, the pack were very physical and competed at every breakdown forcing the Cougars to pick up their game. Relentless pressure on the Cougars defence eventually led to the visitors getting a converted try. They scored again on the wing not long after, and a few nerves appeared in the Cougars play.

The Cougars struck once more before half time, again through Hope scoring outwide in a great solo try. The game could still go either way, and after the break Lakenham having travelled 280 miles from Norwich for the game were determined not to go home empty handed. They came out firing on all cylinders and pressurised the Cougars line for a solid 15 minutes, This eventually led to them scoring a well deserved try through their blindside flanker.

With 5 minutes to go Lakenham were reduced to 14, when their openside flanker was sin binned for continuously killing the ball. From the penalty Parker (players player) scored in the corner taking the final score to 29-17 and giving the Cougars a hard fought victory against a Lakenham team that never gave up the fight. The match was sponsored by A-Z vehicle Dismantlers and Rex Bingo.

This Sunday many of the Cougars will be in action representing Cumbria against Northumberland at Penrith RUFC. Kick off is 2.30 pm, Cumbria girls will also be combining with Durham at under 15 and u18 age groups to take on Northumberland at Keswick, 1:15 kick off, all support appreciated.

Hope tops try-scoring table across women’s leagues

The Cougars took to the field on Sunday 17th October, with the goal of achieving their first win of the season against old rivals Altrincham Kersal. From the first whistle, the Cougars applied pressure and pinned the visitors back in their own 22.

A rushed clearance kick fell to Laura Cunningham who took the high ball well under pressure. The Cougars set the ball up well, and the strong running of inside centre Katie Wigham saw the Cougars cross for the first of their tries.

The next 15 minutes saw the Cougars continue to look dominant, but the Kersal defence kept the Cougars out. The next try came from a quick tap penalty which saw prop Lucy Meadley power over the line from 5m out. This second try settled the Cougars nerves and they began to take control.

With the forwards securing ball well in the scrum, a solid platform was created for the backs, who started to run in the tries. A further try from Wigham (players player) followed by a first half hat-trick from outside centre Julie Hope and a  try from Emily Turner saw the Cougars go in at half time 47-0 up.

The visitors came out strongly in the second half and pinned the Cougars on their try line, but strong and sustained tackling in defence kept Kersal out.  The score remained the same until ten minutes from the end when Hope outpaced the defence for 3 more tries in the final stages of the game, taking her tally to 9 for the season, which makes her the highest try scorer across all the womens leagues. Lisa Ritchie kicked 9 conversions, with one for Simone Lynn to make the final score 75-0.

The game was played in front of match sponsors Dan’s groundworks, maintenance and landscaping and P. L. Gauntlett Accountants Limited. Now 5th in the league, the Cougars hope to use this performance as a springboard for their season. Next week they travel to Olney, in Buckinghamshire, and with the confidence taken from this game hope for another good result.

Carlisle Cougars took a trip down the A1 on Sunday 10th October, to Leos (in Leeds) for their first away game of the season. With size and strength in the forwards pack, and pace and experience in their backs, it was Leo’s who came out on top.

With increased physicality and pace of the game the Cougars are experiencing a steep learning curve in the higher league. From the kick off Leos gathered the ball and showed their strength, particularly through the running of their outside centre, Ruth Laybourne. Cougar’s full back Julie Hope was forced to make several try-saving tackles in the first half as Ruth broke the line.

Carlisle RFC Cougars

Unfortunately the Cougars could not sustain the defence, and conceded tries out wide. The Cougars pack worked hard throughout the game, but unfortunately illness and unavailability meant that tired legs had to play the full 80mins. Flankers Belinda Lloyd and Kati Brown (Players player and Coaches player respectively) had outstanding games, tackling all around the park and securing ball for the Cougars.

With ball in hand the Cougars created chances but generally failed to capitalise on by converting them into points. A tight maul, set up from a lineout was held up over the line, and on a number of occasions the final pass let the Cougars down and scoring chances went begging.

Julie Hope did manage to find a gap out wide early in the second half, but they were the only points they achieved in the game. The Cougars did show some good phases of play though, which they can build on.  Leo’s ran out winners 36-5, and look like a side aiming for top of the league this season.

The Cougars take on Altrincham Kersal on Sunday at Warwick Road, and hope to record their first win of the season. Kick off 2.30 pm – all support welcome.

On Sunday 3rd October, newly promoted Carlisle Cougars took on an experienced Waterloo side, who finished second in the league last season. The match, sponsored by Stacey’s Coaches and M&D Galbraith was the first occasion these teams had met for three seasons. Injury worries meant the Cougars had a new half back paring, but with the strength in depth of the squad built over the off-season a strong starting 15 was still fielded.

The first 20 minutes saw the Cougars out-played by Waterloo, the new league providing a more physical challenge than the Cougars experienced last season. Conceding 3 tries in this first quarter was a major set back, but heads did not drop and the Cougars played their way back into the game. A great break by outside centre Julie Hope resulted in the Cougars opening try.

Gaining dominance in the scrum, the Cougars were buoyed on and applied pressure to the Waterloo side. A lack of discipline saw the Cougars reduced to 14, and Waterloo capitalized with the last try of the half.

The second half saw the Cougars go up another gear, strong running in the forwards created space out wide for Centre Hope to run in her second try of the game. The Carlisle outfit continued to pressure and made good yards, but unfortunately couldn’t finish off their chances.

In the end it was Waterloo who got the final score of the game, using their experience and finishing out wide on the wing. Final score Carlisle 12 – Waterloo 25.

Vic Parker was players player of the game on her debut for the team. The Cougars took a lot of positives from the game and look forward to their trip to Leeds next week where they hope to build on this weeks performance. Anyone interested in playing womens/girls rugby should contact Lucy on 07912110785 / carlislecougars@hotmail.co.uk

Match Sponsors

Stacey’s Coaches

M&D Galbraith

Carlisle Cougars travelled North to Melrose on Sunday 5th September to play their last match in preparation for the coming season in Championship North 1.

The Cougars were lacking some experienced payers which gave chance for the small squad of 16 to show what they could do. From the first whistle the Cougars put pressure on Melrose, and forced them to try to play out of their own 22, this pressure eventually paid off when Julie Hope gathered a loose ball and chipped through to gather her own kick and score the first of her hat-trick under the sticks.

Simone Lynn played out of position at scrum half and distributed the ball well, gaining players player of the match. A solid performance for stand in fly half  Philippa Bell saw her controlling the game well which resulted in good phase ball from the pack creating gaps out wide for the backs to run in 3 more tries, 2 from centre Holly Freestone who has just been selected to tour New Zealand with the England Rugby League squad.

Steph Musgrave had another solid game on the wing, scoring in the corner having outpaced the defence.  The final score was 44-5 to the Carlisle outfit.

The Cougars now have a few weeks to iron out some cobwebs before their first league game on the 3rd October at home to the experienced Waterloo outfit, kick off 3pm all support welcome.

Following the game the Cougars returned to the Club to watch the World Cup final which saw hosts England play New Zealand. The match was a fantastic spectacle for the women’s game with New Zealand clinching a narrow 13-10 victory to retain the title of World Champions.

Cougars fare well at 7’s Tournament

The Carlisle Cougars travelled to Nottingham for the Solstice 7’s tournament last weekend and competed well during the group stage on the Saturday, being drawn first against the Welsh, Blaenau Gwent.

Cougars at Solstice 7's tournament

After a shaky start, Blaenau were first to score, but the Cougars soon used their pace and quick passes to score out wide. Tries came from Lucy Meadley, Laura Cunningham and Philippa Bell.  Overall resulting in a good win for Carlisle, 35-17.

The second match was against the Premiership team Lichfield. Despite a valiant defence from the Cougars, Lichfield showed their class and gave a polished performance to take the win.

The Cougars didn’t give up throughout and overall this looked like their best performance of the tournament. All was still to play for in the final group match against Longton, as a victory would still put the Cougars through to the cup.

Scrum half Philippa Bell showed a real turn of pace, scoring a hat-trick. Prop Maxine Pickles made her 7s debut, but in the final plays of the match the Cougars sustained three injuries that would keep players out of the knock out stage on Sunday.

After an evening themed around heroes in a marquee, and camping at the rugby club the Cougars prepared for the knock out competition on the Sunday.

They were drawn against Camphill in the quarter final. Camphill opened the scoring with two tries in quick succession. Carlisle turned over possession at the ruck, prop Lucy Meadley, broke through the line.  Camphill scrambled a defence, however  support was there from Kati Brown who took the offload  for her first try for the Cougars. Lisa Ritchie converted from a wide angle, to make the score 7-10 to Camphill at half time. In the second  half Camphill raised their game, and ran in a further two tries to put victory beyond the Cougars despite some impressive tackling.

The cup competition was won by Lichfield, with Waterloo Barbarians taking the plate.

England Rugby star, Tamara Taylor makes Keswick girls festival a thrilling afternoon.

Carlisle Cougar’s Belinda Lloyd refereed at Keswick’s girls rugby festival on Sunday 23rd of May.

Four teams from the Manchester, South Scotland and North East took on teams from Keswick and Egremont on a hot summer afternoon.

The event is the second time Keswick have hosted a festival for girls, and the organisation and hospitality of the club, as well as the opportunity provided for the girls to play made it a great afternoon.

To top it off the presentations to the winning teams, Gala and Morpeth were made by England second row Tamara Taylor, who took time out of her hectic training schedule in preparation for the Womens’ World Cup, in London in August this year to cometo the event.

Katie Wilson chair person of the Carlisle Cougars ladies team said “It was a fantastic occasion, and great that Belinda could referee as its good for the girls to see that women are involved in rugby as officials as well as players and coaches”. Carlisle are looking to start-up a girls section again in September 2010.

Anyone wishing to play womens or girls rugby should contact the Cougars by email carlislecougars@hotmail.co.uk or by phone on 07912110785.