Luctonians Celebrate World Cup Triumph of Former Player Lark Atkin-Davies

For Luctonians, the women’s Rugby World Cup victory is extra sweet, as we celebrate the success of former player, Lark Atkin-Davies, among the winners.

In 2003, we launched the Luctonians Community Coaching Programme, supported by local business Avara Foods. This has been running for over two decades, providing multi-sports coaching to schools across North Herefordshire and beyond.

It was through this pathway in 2009, that newly crowned World Cup Winner, Lark Atkin Davies, was first introduced to the sport. Lark took part in a TAG Rugby programme that was being delivered at Orleton Primary School by our Community Coaches. On her move to Wigmore High School, Luctonians Coaches invited them to attend a seven-week Rugby programme, which introduced the participants to contact rugby. Lark’s passion for the game was born.

Community Coaching Programme Coordinator Sarah Lamonby, commented on its impact. “Giving kids an outlet to be active, engaging with peers from other schools, and interact with adults who aren’t their teacher or a parent is really important. Not every school has access to either the experience or the equipment to provide the kind of opportunities that we can – it’s an incredibly valuable service and one that’s really appreciated.”

Sarah, who also plays for our Luctonians women’s team, added “Seeing Lark perform on the biggest stage is hugely inspiring for the young people connected to our club and from the area, especially girls who are playing the sport, or considering taking it up. Having sporting role models is important for the development of the game, and Lark is the perfect local example of that”.

Earlier this year, Lark revisited the club and ran a training session and Q&A with our 12-16 girls’ teams. We now have over 100 women and girls who are regular players, from as young as 4 years of age through to ladies in their 50s.

The club’s Community Coaching Programme works with a huge number of local schools in the area, and since it began, we have coached over 20,000 children. Our annual tag rugby festival, which has become a flagship event for many of the schools we support, welcomes hundreds of children and over 30 teams each year.

Luctonians Operations Director Alex Smith commented “We have been enormously proud watching Lark’s career blossom over the years, and this weekend’s victory tops it all. For over two decades, our community programme has been going into schools and delivering for the community of North Herefordshire and beyond, and to see Lark, who came through that pathway 16 years ago, become a World Cup winner is a truly special moment for everyone at the club”.