Girls lead campaign for new rugby ground

Keighley Albion has a large number of girl players but fears they will stop unless facilities are improved

A group of young rugby players have launched a campaign for a new ground to help girls and boys at their club to thrive equally in the sport.

Players from Keighley Albion, a grassroots club with more than 300 junior members, say they have had enough of cramped pitches, long queues for toilets and no separate changing rooms for girls.

They currently play miles away in Bingley and have urged Bradford Council to provide funds to turn the disused facilities at Utley Recreation Ground in Keighley into their new base.

"There's no changing room for us," says seven-year-old Lara. "I think it's good that more girls are playing rugby, but I'd really like to have our own space."

Club bosses say they are "struggling" with the current facilities at Cross Flatts Cricket Club in Bingley which no longer serve growing demand

Utley Recreation Ground has both adult and junior rugby pitches and once hosted the Keighley Cougar Cubs junior teams, but now lies unused.

Keighley Albion said redeveloping it would solve their growing problems - overbooked pitches, limited changing space and rising demand from girls who are being turned away due to a lack of facilities.

Eight-year-old Lana, who took up rugby six months ago, said: "The pitches are really tiny and the girls don't have changing rooms - it would help if we did.

She believes that with better facilities "more girls might keep playing."

Ten-year-old Rubie said efforts to form girls-only teams had been hampered by the poor facilities.

"People stopped showing up," she said. "I think that was because of the changing rooms."

The boys too are firmly behind the girls' pleas for equality of space.

"I love playing rugby," says seven-year-old Lohen, one of the club's youngest campaigners.

"My favourite thing is that every match we all stick together, but we need more space to run, and more changing rooms - for everybody."

'Huge loss'

Keighley Albion coach Carl Tate, who leads the under-8s, said the girls especially were "being let down".

"The kids love rugby. It's great to see them outside, not behind screens," he said.

"We have a fantastic mix of boys and girls from all different backgrounds, but we only have two pitches and one set of changing rooms.

"Our girls' rugby is growing fast. Seven out of 17 under-8 players are girls. If we don't get better facilities, they'll stop playing as they get older.

"We've put in training and have coaches with daughters on the team. It would be a huge loss to let that effort go to waste."

Mr Tate said the facilities at Utley would be a "natural fit" for a move especially given its past history.

The under 8s squad at Keighley Albion are spearheading a new campaign to upgrade their ground - which would also give the girl players their own changing space

Once a training ground for junior players, campaigners said the site offered more space, better parking, and the potential to build a clubhouse and community hub.

A petition launched via Bradford Council's website says the club is providing vital opportunities for youth development and community connection.

The petition adds that the project "cannot happen without funding" and urges decision-makers to "help to bring this vision to life".

Regardless of what happens with the campaign, young players like Rubie, Lara, Lana and Lohen say they will continue showing up each week - despite the challenges.

"We just want to play rugby," Rubie says. "That's all."

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.