Waterloo Ladies Explained

Teamname:Waterloo Ladies
Union:RFUW
Fullname:Firwood Waterloo Ladies Football Club
Founded:1989

Waterloo Ladies Rugby Football Club, known for sponsorship reasons as Firwood Waterloo Ladies Rugby Football Club, is a women's rugby union club based in Blundellsands, Merseyside, England. They are the women's team of Waterloo FC. They were established in 1989 by England national women's rugby union team player Gill Burns.[1] In 2020 they lost their place in the Premier 15s after their re-applications were rejected.[2]

History

Waterloo Ladies were founded in 1989 by Gill Burns as a way for local women to be able to play rugby in their hometown. By 2001, Waterloo Ladies were playing in the Women's Premiership.[3] [4] A large number of Waterloo Ladies' players took part in the 2006 Women's Rugby World Cup, which meant that Waterloo Ladies were unable to put out strong team leading to relegation from the Women's Premiership.[5] Despite this, they became the most successful women's rugby club in Merseyside.[6] In 2012, the club's name was changed to Firwood Waterloo following a sponsorship deal with a Liverpool based timber merchant, which included all of the club's teams including the Ladies.[7] In 2013, Waterloo Ladies joined the Sale Sharks men's team for training.[8] In 2016, Waterloo Ladies were champions of Championship 1 North.[9]

In 2017, Waterloo Ladies were selected as one of ten successful bids for a franchise in the new Women's Super Rugby competition, later renamed Premier 15s, designed to replace the Women's Premiership due to a reconstitution of women's rugby in England. The decision was welcomed by Lichfield Ladies who congratulated Waterloo Ladies on their return, despite Lichfield being controversially omitted from the new league.[10]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: worldrugby.org . 2014 Inductee: Gill Burns . IRB . 17 November 2014 . 31 March 2017.
  2. News: Sale and Exeter join women’s top flight. en-GB. BBC Sport. 2021-10-06.
  3. Web site: Spent force?; SATURDAY FEATURE: The move into professionalism was a game too far as so many clubs are being kicked into touch. . The Birmingham Post . The Free Library . 31 March 2017.
  4. Web site: Burns Becomes First Lady of Rugby's Hall of Fame; Waterloo and England Union Star Inducted into IRB's Roll of Honour . https://web.archive.org/web/20171016122247/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-390909822.html . dead . 16 October 2017 . Liverpool Echo . 31 March 2017.
  5. Web site: Rugby Union: Back the first ladies of sport on Merseyside; In Touch. . Daily Post . The Free Library . 31 March 2017.
  6. Web site: Waterloo Ladies Leading the Way on Merseyside . https://web.archive.org/web/20171016173924/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-171842073.html . dead . 16 October 2017 . Daily Post . 31 March 2017.
  7. Web site: Waterloo RFC to be known as Firwood Waterloo FC after signing five-year partnership . Liverpool Echo . 31 March 2017.
  8. Web site: Sharks . Sale . Qbe Rugby Pro Winner Firwood Waterloo Ladies Fc Trains With Sale Sharks . Sale Sharks . 27 March 2013 . 31 March 2017.
  9. Web site: Thurrock women’s rugby side set to fight for new big money Super League inclusion . The Enquirer . 16 March 2017 . 31 March 2017.
  10. Web site: RUGBY UNION: Premiership clubs put their weight behind Lichfield Ladies' Super League appeal . Lichfield Mercury . 2 March 2017 . 31 March 2017 .

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