Fundraiser helps get women's rugby team to final

Workington Finches captain Charlotte Cammack said the team wanted to become back-to-back champions

A women’s rugby team is hoping to win a national cup final this weekend for the second successive year, following a fundraising campaign.

Workington Finches are taking on Westcliff Ladies, from Essex, at the Sixways Stadium in Worcester on Saturday for the Women’s Junior Plate.

The west Cumbria club has had to appeal to its local community to help it raise the £6,000 needed for travel and accommodation.

The assistant coach said the team would inspire the next generation of young girls.

Last year, Workington Finches secured the trophy at Twickenham.

The squad has been training twice a week on an artificial surface in Workington to help prepare for the game, which cannot come quickly enough for captain, Charlotte Cammack.

"We’re really looking forward to it," she said. "We’re hoping to be back-to-back champions, so we're really excited."

She said the secret to the team’s success was its "togetherness".

"We’ve got some big personalities, we’ve got people doing all the work behind the scenes and we’re together all the time," she said.

"We class it as a family, we’re all really supportive of each other and we just like to see people succeed."

Fundraiser

The cost of travelling to the final has been a problem, though.

The club has had to launch an appeal to help it raise £6,000 for transport and accommodation.

Last year, Cup Rugby gave the club £300 towards the costs, but this year it only received £240 as it was worked out on mileage, the club said.

The club said it would cost £1,500 for a coach, a driver and the driver's overnight stay. Twenty double hotel rooms for the team would cost a further £2,600.

Assistant coach Simon Thomson said young girls from Workington would be inspired by the team

For assistant coach Simon Thomson, success would be an investment in the future of the sport.

"What this team is doing now will inspire the next set," he said.

"They can see that these girls are from Workington and they’re playing in national cups, and that’s something that young girls can strive for."

Saturday will be a bittersweet moment for team member Fiona McKay, as it is her final game in a Finches shirt.

"I’ve met a lot of really good people along the way, and it’s just a really proud thing to be a Finch," she said.

The match kicks off at 11:00 BST, with the Finches hoping supporters can roar them on to a piece of local sporting history.