Chiefs Community half-term camps sprinkled with World Cup stars

Exeter Chiefs community hosted their annual half-term camps at local clubs with two camps attended by junior and women’s World Cup stars.

A girls-only camp held at Exmouth RFC, which was subsidised by main club sponsor Sika, was coached by Chiefs Women’s players including captain Emily Robinson, as well as most-capped USA Eagle Hope Rogers, who recently featured in the women’s Rugby World Cup.

Emily Roffe-Silvester’s daughter attended the camp and was delighted to be coached by her role model, Rogers.

She said: “The girls’ rugby camp was so well organised and offered excellent, high-quality training sessions throughout the day. Having the Chiefs players there was a massive bonus and left my daughter feeling truly inspired. She’s now more determined than ever to one day be part of the Chiefs line-up.

“I’d also like to extend a big thank you to Sika for sponsoring the day. For many families like ours, things are quite tight at the moment and opportunities like this can sometimes be out of reach. The 50% sponsorship made it possible for us to take part, and we’re genuinely grateful for that support.

“Thank you again for such a brilliant day. We really appreciate the time, effort, and enthusiasm that went into making it happen.”

In the same week, Exeter Athletic was the base for a position specific camp for U14s to U18s coached by England U20s players Joe Bailey, Ben Coen, Louie Gulley, Kane James and Nick Lilley.

Head of community Tom Steer said: “Both days were fantastic! They gave us a chance to bring something completely new to our rugby delivery. To have World Cup players in attendance at both camps provided an invaluable experience for the kids.

“Some of the kids in attendance had never played rugby before but the feedback from their parents was that they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

“As a community team, we are indebted to Sika for their generosity in subsidising our camp. It ensured that the day was accessible to 50 young girls and truly shows our club’s dedication to building upon the legacy of the recent women’s Rugby World Cup.

“I would also like to thank the men’s and women’s players for gifting us their time and energy. Both days made me proud to see what we can accomplish as a club.”

If you would like more information on how you can get involved with our community team’s work in the local area, please contact our head of community Tom Steer here.