FEMALE athletes at Royal Wootton Bassett School are ready to scrum down after a rugby enrichment programme was opened up to them.

Started by former England captain and Bath player Lewis Moody, it uses rugby’s standards and values to nurture young people and support their academic achievement.

Initially it was only offered to boys, but he wanted to extend it. He said: "We have wanted to see the benefits of rugby and well-being delivered across the school to all students equally, and I am so pleased with how many girls have got involved.

“The coaches’ focus is on the students as individuals, helping them develop into confident, respectful and considered young leaders, who set high standards within the community. With both girls and boys now committing to the programme, they will inspire all students across the entire school.”

One of the Mad Dog coaches, current Welsh international Gemma Rowland, said: “Rugby allowed me to believe in myself, and gave me a place where I could truly be myself. I learned how to believe in my strengths and it encouraged me to see possibilities and opportunities around me. Without rugby, I would not be who I am today.”

The programme is integrated into the 6th form, offering a two-year rugby course to students working towards A-level, BTech and RFU coaching awards. Its annual impact report, which included lockdowns, showed 90 per cent of students taking part believed it had positively affected their self-confidence. Eighty per cent said it had a significant effect on their mental wellbeing, and 95 per cent noted improvements in their physical health.

It is delivered by two Mad Dog coaches based full-time at the academy. They also run extra-curricular activities for younger students, which is a pathway to the Mad Dog programme.

Head teacher Anita Ellis said: “The quality of the Mad Dog coaches is exceptional, and they are always looking for ways to embed their thinking into the wider school. Their desire to make sport equitable chimes with everything we aim to do as a school, and I could not be happier that we have partnered with them.”