Calling all Bedfordshire girls (and anyone else qualified to play for counties in addition to Hertfordshire)

Everyone who plays for Letchworth is qualified to play for Hertfordshire, and in addition therefore East Region. However some of you will ALSO be qualified for other counties or regions and - when it comes to trials etc. - you may want to try out for these in addition to, or instead of, Hertfordshire.

Typically the rules for this are not currently written down anywhere, but generally speaking it seems to be accepted that if you live, were born, or attend school outside Hertfordshire you will also be qualified for that county (or counties) as well. So anyone who - say - was born in Essex, lives in Bedfordshire, and goes to school in Cambridgeshire (a not impossible situation) could have some interesting choices in September!

So - a quick summary what this would mean in practice.

BEDFORDSHIRE

County Rugby: Bedfordshire do not have a county side of their own, but combine with Northamptonshire to create "East Midlands County". 2006/7 will be the first year that they have had a county programme for girls, and its all a bit fluid at the moment. It you are interested in playing contact Derek Maybury (the Regional Development Officer) derekmaybury@rfu.com.

**NOTE: On the plus side there are significantly fewer clubs in Beds/Northants so logically there may be less competition for places than for Herts but on negative side it is likely that your trials etc. will be further away.

Regional Rugby: Bedfordshire is in the East Midlands Region - which also includes Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, and Lincolnshire as well as East Midlands County, and their home games and trials tend to be in Leicestershire (more often than not Coalville). East Midlands are a very strong region - national champions at U14 level last year (East were runners-up).

**NOTE: The one plus is that East Midlands trials may be "open" for Bedfordshire girls - ie. you may not need to be nominated by your county.

ESSEX

County rugby: Essex are a county in their own right, and the most established in the region. Trials for the Essex squad have already begun - they have been tarining since early July, apparently. Most of what they do seems to be based in the Basildon/Westcliff/Rochford area (which is not great surprise). Competition for places in their squads will be as tough as for Hertfordshire.

Regional rugby: Essex are obviously in East Region.

CAMBRIDGESHIRE

County rugby: Cambridgeshire come under the new Eastern Counties structure - and they have their own blog which will give you all the information you could need (http://www.easterncounties.girlsrugby.org.uk/)

Regional rugby: Again, part of East Region

ANYWHERE ELSE

If you think you may be qualified for any other county and want to know what you options are, please let me know.

SWITCHING COUNTIES AND REGIONS

Once you have been selected for one county you cannot switch to another part of the structure - so if you were picked by East Midlands County you could not switch to Hertfordshire or attend East Region trials - and visa versa. However there is nothing to stop you attending trials for more than one county (other than the fact that they will probably be at different places on the same day!).