BLOG: Family law meets women's rugby

By Ben Schofield on Sep 16, 09 11:22 AM

Sam Hillas.jpg

I HAVE to 'fess up immediately and say that if you expect this blog to be about law this week, you should stop reading now.

Having said that, these blogs are only ever about law tangentially in any event so if you're a repeat customer, you must know by now what to expect.

This week, readers and fellow bloggers, I am going to unashamedly plug my rugby team - the darlings of the North West or, as we are commonly known, the Park Panthers. Grrrrr.

Like a phoenix from the ashes of Wirral women's rugby (I was a member of the last ever Wirral team which folded, but no-one has yet held that against me), Park Panthers rose to dizzying heights this weekend in their first ever match against Liverpool Collegiate.

The sun shone, the crowds poured through the gate and the women played like a team of Martin Johnsons. Smaller, better looking Martin Johnsons of course. And with a hint of mascara. But worthy of an England cap nonetheless.*

I remain, in fact, quite breathless about the game and that's not solely due to the filthy nicotine habit.

The squad was formed, rather inauspiciously, over a few cajoling calls/texts/emails, promising an active social life and a chance of legitimate ogling of men with big thighs in short shorts.

But that inauspicious start led to greater things - firstly a meeting over drinks to assess numbers and discuss training schedules.

Then a meeting over more drinks to form a committee.

Then another meeting over drinks to discuss kit design.....you get the picture.

We must have done something right though - numbers are such we could hardly fit the full squad in team shot. Perhaps the mention of thighs was the draw.

Whatever the motivation however, in a few short months we have turned a gaggle of novices (barristers, solicitors, teachers, full-time mums) into a strongly-bonded team of skilled and enthusiastic rugger buggers who now know more about rucking and mauling than they could ever have imagined.

And I'm so proud of every one of them, as are our sponsors who (I should mention) include my own crowd, Atlantic Chambers.

Should any other female mentalists fancy a run around the park, feel free to join us - we train every Thursday at 6.30pm and every Saturday at 10.30pm at Birkenhead Park FC, Park Road North, Birkenhead.

* We lost by the way. But who cares? Go Panthers!!!!