Another restart of the Czech women’s XV rugby

The winter here in Central Europe is little bit longer than usual and the spring time is still somewhere out of sight. But it doesn’t matter, the rugby season just started! The first match of the XV contest happened March of 16th between the combined teams SpaTra (RC Sparta/RC Tatra) and VyDra (RC Vyškov/RC Dragon Brno). The temperature was -4° C (24,8 F°), but the sun was shining and the game was great. The rugby time is here again!

Czech Women’s Rugby History

The Czech 15a side women’s rugby has quite long tradition, but this tradition was interrupted few times.

The first Czech women’s team was established in 1984 in the communistic Czechoslovakia. At first it was meant as just one single happening during the celebration of 40 years anniversary of the Říčany rugby club in 1984. But first training session, lead by one of the leading personalities of the club Miloslav Kohout, was attended by 17 girls and ladies and the second one by 28! In a short time the team consisted of about 40 women and was able to stand two full teams – Blacks and Reds – of the 15a side rugby. The first official match was played 30th June 1984 in Říčany with attendance about 600 visitors! During the years 1984 and 1985 the ladies started to play regular matches not only in Říčany, but on other rugby fields and with other occasions as well. From 1986 to 1987 the interest of the girls and ladies slowly declined because of lack of opportunities to play with other opponents. There were no other womenʼs teams in the Czechoslovakia. The informations about womenʼs rugby from the world were almost out of the reach because of the iron curtain. First of July 1987 the team dissolved.

After this first “heroic” period of the Czech womenʼs rugby there is the long period without any team. There were always few girls playing in the kidʼs teams, usually the daughters of players and coaches. But they had no chance to play as teens and adults. The first new team was established in 2003 in RC Praga in Prague, called The Lizards. And just few weeks after that was established another womenʼs team at RC Sparta Prague. This time the girls in local matches focused to 7ʼs rugby which is not so much demanding on large membership.

But girls still played internationally fifteens from time to time. The first official match of the Czech National Team was played on fifth of May 2004 against Austria in Vienna with the result 5 : 5. The next year it was the same opponent, the same place, the same result.

In 2008 the unofficial “Czech Select“ played the selection of German players from Berlin and surroundings and won 40 : 0. And in 2012 there was another selection of the best Czech players playing under the mark of invitational team the Lazybugs against the German champions Heidelberger RK. The Czechs lost in this case 24 : 29. All these activities happened mainly thanks to girls themselves, thanks to few other friends and rugby players and their enthusiasm.

This should change now. There was established regular team with the main coach, two other coaches and a manager of the team. The Czech Rugby Union supports the plan to build the Czech National Women Team and play full international Tests on a regular basis. The first aim is to play one test this summer and the second one during the fall. It looks that the route which started in 1984 would continue successfully.