Finchley girls flying!
This year, Finchley RFC will be celebrating its 100th season of rugby and 40 years of women's rugby.
As well as being around for 100 years, it is 40 years since graduates of University College London set up the club’s first women’s team at Finchley RFC's Summers Lane home.
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In 2020, Chris Grilli was persuaded by his daughters to create a girls’ team at Finchley. Together with Nick Jordan, they set about enlisting a handful of local girls including their daughters. Three and a half years later, the team has grown at a phenomenal rate and they now have girls’ squads at U12, 14, 16 and 18 and a thriving women’s touch team, coached by Ed Buxton Jnr.
Recently the U16s girls have been proving that the spirit of their predecessors is still very much alive. Representing London & South East, they took on Dings Crusaders on Easter weekend in the semi-final of the National Cup and, having dug deep in a tremendously competitive game, won 22-21.
“It’s all down to hard work and boundless enthusiasm," agreed their coaches Chris and Ed. “Dings had the better of the first half and it was two very strong teams playing on top form, with Finchley scoring the necessary points for victory four minutes before the final whistle. They are an amazing group of players, their work ethic is incredible and they are very supportive of each other!”
Team captain, Sophia Grilli, says, “I’m so proud to be part of this incredible team! We have worked really hard and developed so much as a team and community. Reaching the National Cup final is something I could never have imagined on that first cold Wednesday night three years ago! No matter the result of the National Cup, we are proud of how far we’ve come!”
The U16s players have all the determination and dedication of the women who created the first opportunities for women and girls at their club and their success is all the more notable because for some this is their first season, while the most experienced squad members have only been playing contact for three years.
Said Deborah Griffin: “It is great to see the U16s doing so well. Finchley is very warmly remembered by everyone who played there and it played a significant part in the growth of the women’s game as the first English club side. A reunion to celebrate the presentation of ‘Red Roses - Past, Present and Future’ by Nneka Uzoigwe and commissioned by RFU Chair, Tom Ilube, in November 2023 was a great occasion to meet past and present players and members of the club. I look forward to celebrating their 100th anniversary with them.”
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