We started the season with Caroline, Cherelle and Beth agreeing to join the coaching team. This enabled us to set up a better structure. Focusing on: basic skills, individual skills and group skills.

It’s important, as a coach, to understand that a good-balanced group opens your eyes to things you as an individual may have missed. Plus, a good balance of characters makes for a better coaching group. We now have a good balance of experience, which will grow over time.

Pre-season went well, we had a lot of new players come and go, but it was good to have interest in the game grow. We started to see a good base of a team which were all registered to Windsor, which was down to the hard work of Sharon and her support team. Old players also returned.

The season started well, unfortunately the score was against us, losing 22-29 to Marlow. This must be the first season where we didn’t have to travel too far, which I think also helped with retention.

The first half of the season, we grew from strength to strength, which was impressive seeing as we had so many new players. There was a real buzz around the Dames. The top of the table was tight and as the season went on but unfortunately, we picked up injuries, which meant that we couldn’t continue in our Cup run.

This continued into the new year and we slipped out of the title race. Unfortunately, lack of numbers at training hindered our chances, losing two big matches. But, The Dames came through and secured a well-fought victory to secure third place.

So, a mixed bag of a season, but there is a lot of potential for next season with so many new players coming through, as well as some Damsels coming up.

Ray Cox, WINDSOR RFC DAMES HEAD COACH & FORWARDS COACH