Royal Navy women triumph over Havant in first test for their new head coach
The Royal Navy women's rugby team have got their season off to a strong start after a thumping 7-34 victory against Havant RFC.
With a mix of experienced veterans and uncapped players making their debuts for Navy rugby, their curtain-raiser for the 2024 season starts their build-up for the Inter Services championships which are set to take place in the spring.
The game was also the first test for Chief Petty Officer Sarah Jenkins, who was appointed the new head coach of the Royal Navy women's team in December.
CPO Jenkins, also known as 'Jenks', formerly played for the Navy with 12 Inter Services appearances to her name, to which she also captained the team into the Inter Services in 2014 before transitioning into a coaching role.
Speaking to BFBS in a post-match interview, CPO Jenkins described the coach-to-athlete relationship within the team as "fun".
She said: "I'm very much looking forward to the challenge going forward from here.
"I'm a big fan of fun so make everybody enjoy it and in the last few days, the girls very much enjoyed themselves and then coming out we've hit it off the start."
The team captain, Leading Hand Rose Dixon, added: "I've played with Jenks a couple of years ago so she knows us, she knows me and she knows how we like to play, so it is really nice to have that and bringing that into the coaching set up, and yes it has been so much fun."
The Navy women will play against French rivals Marine Nationale on 16 March before they kick off their Inter Services campaign against the Royal Air Force women on 20 April.
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