Sport

With a few games of contact rugby under their belts, the first Gibraltar Women’s Rugby Select rugby team took to the pitch against visiting Spanish players on Sunday 20th June. Emotions were, understandably, running high. “At the start I was feeling really nervous,” said trainee psychologist Camille Lavagna, 23, “but as the match went I on I felt determined to take the win as we had all been working so hard together.” They got the win and a very closely fought game, 15-12, having to come from behind twice. There was even significant coverage of the game on GBC, a great advert for the game.

The very first attempts tentative steps at kicking-off women’s rugby on the Rock were made in 2008 following a successful schools programme. Then, around 2015, Teacher and rugby referee, Rob Azzopardi, resurrected the idea and, on an exceptionally wet and windy Tuesday night in March 2018 at Devil’s Tower Camp, Zoe Fidock, later to become GRFU Chairperson for Women’s Rugby, and Tom Tunbridge, the current GRFU Vice-President, organised an open training session. Tom’s bombardment of the email in-trays of anybody that had expressed an interest paid off; despite the conditions 24 players turned up. Unfortunately, the time just wasn’t quite right for the women’s game in Gibraltar and, with issues over access and commitments, player numbers dropped.

By the end of the summer of 2018 I joined as a new coach, and ran weekly training sessions at DTC focusing  on building on basic skills with the players that remained. Then came the move to Gibraltar Rugby’s current home in late 2019 at the newly built Europa Sports Park. Suddenly, rugby players had access to a purpose-built facility, something which they had needed for years. Numbers began to recover.

Then the COVID and lockdowns arrived in Gibraltar. Despite this setback player numbers were maintained and increased once lockdown conditions began to ease. In fact, the numbers were good enough that the first competitive game of COVID-compliant touch rugby was played between Rooke and Nelson and refereed by Rob in mid-November 2020 with Nelson running out as winners on a sunny Saturday. It is easy to underestimate the significance of a game of touch rugby but as finance director, GRFU CFO and mum Georgie Taylor says: “I never thought I would be playing rugby again, so this journey feels really special.”

Three more games, all refereed by Rob, who brought his coaching skills to the role, were played before the second lockdown hit. Online quizzes were used to keep team spirits up as well as Zoom fitness sessions twice per week, which I used to manage. During the second lockdown the GRFU was restructured and the women’s game in Gib was reorganised to mirror the men’s game with four clubs. For the purposes of the playing regular matches, these were amalgamated into two teams: Red and Black. Their first match was held on 17th April 2021. Encouragingly, this game featured debuts for a couple of new players.

As COVID restrictions were relaxed, rugby activity in Gibraltar increased quickly with the advent of the Corporate Touch Rugby Tournament in May and the announcement of the inaugural Gibraltar Rugby Sevens tournament scheduled for late June.

The touch rugby tournament required mixed teams and nearly all the players found themselves being invited to play. New to the game trust administrator Kelly Gibbins, 22, played for the winning team. “I learned a lot,” she said. “How to read the game and seize the spaces, invaluable lessons for my growth as a rugby player. Every week brought endless smiles.” That learning and enjoyment was a gift to women’s rugby as players got more game time and those introduced to the game decided to take it further.

The Gibraltar 7s tournament presented the opportunity to play a full 15-a-side rugby in front of a crowd. However, this was going to be a game against more experienced players so training had to be stepped up. The first club game involving contact was played in May with a winning debut for police constable Leila El Yettefti, 25: “Before the game I was [so] nervous, then I saw my teammates had my back, I relaxed and enjoyed the game. After the win it was such a euphoric moment.”

With a few games of contact rugby under their belts, the first Gibraltar Women’s Rugby Select rugby team took to the pitch against visiting Spanish players on Sunday 20th June. Emotions were, understandably, running high. “At the start I was feeling really nervous,” said trainee psychologist Camille Lavagna, 23, “but as the match went I on I felt determined to take the win as we had all been working so hard together.” They got the win and a very closely fought game, 15-12, having to come from behind twice. There was even significant coverage of the game on GBC, a great advert for the game.

As this article is being written, the players are preparing for a new season. They are always looking for new players. “I love the fact that, no matter your experience or skill set, there is a position for everyone,” says student Milly Head, 17, “you meet such a variety of people. Despite being the youngest, the team has always made me feel welcome.”

“The girls in the squad are such a fantastic group,” adds Georgie. “There is some really great talent for the future of the women’s game in Gibraltar.”

“It feels great to be part of a team that is growing and developing together,” says Camille. “Playing rugby has definitely made me more resilient [and] enhanced my confidence and fitness.”

It is my view that we need to keep growing the game in Gib, to achieve that critical mass. The best way to do that is with games; the ladies just want to play more matches. Our plan is to be playing every couple of weeks, either domestically or against outside teams, home and away. That way you build both character and experience and get a pool of players to select from for our first international match. That’s where we want to be.

Gibraltar’s walking footballers travelled to Denmark in August as the reigning International Super Masters 65+ Champions, after triumphantly winning the previous tournament in 2019 in Paris. 

The global Covid 19 pandemic meant that Gibraltar were unable to defend their title in 2020 as the annual tournament was postponed for a year given various lockdowns across many countries and the travel restrictions that have been in place. Actually, the postponement meant that Gibraltar’s Walking Footballers reigned as International Super Masters Champions in the over 65 age group for two years. 

Covid 19 has had some wide-ranging effects on many global tournaments and sporting events, many of which have been cancelled, shelved, and completely removed from international calendars. As soon as the Super Masters was rescheduled for 2021, Gibraltar’s Walking Footballers were determined to travel to Copenhagen safely, to defend their title. 

Yet for the majority of the Rock’s Walking Footballers, competing internationally is just a bonus and something to look forward to. Their twice weekly sessions using the facilities at the Bayside Sports Complex and the Victoria Stadium are much more important. For them, walking football provides a much-welcomed opportunity to exercise and take part in physical activity and do so in the sport they love and have loved for so many years. 

Furthermore, there is also a very important social side to Walking Football.Over a post session coffee tales and anecdotes from their younger days are frequently recounted and always with smiles and laughter across the faces of the footballers. 

As they left this August for the Danish capital though, defending their title was firmly on their mind, “Ready to go” one team member told the local press whilst previewing the tournament. They also had their eyes on the two other events in the over 65 category, the penalty shoot-out and the running event in which they would compete in for the first time. One thing was for certain, Gibraltar’s Walking Footballers had not lost any of their competitive edge!  

In the main event they were once again one of the standout teams in the tournament which was played in a 5 aside round robin format, somewhat similar to futsal, with matches lasting 15 minutes Despite a valiant effort Gibraltar were toultimately finish runners up to Wales. 

The running event, which was a first for our over 65’s saw them put in another valiant performance, finishing in 3rd place, but the best was yet to come. 

The third event in Copenhagen was the penalty shoot-out. With Eric Abudarham in goal, reigned supreme! The victory meant that they had finished in 3rd place or higher in allthree events they entered in Copenhagen, so overall hugely successful and proud week for Gibraltar’s walking footballers.  

Speaking after the tournament Gibraltar Walking Football Chairman, Eddie Guerrero, who was in Denmark said: 

“I am extremely proud of the performance of all my players and coaching staff in the three competitions that we participated in the Copenhagen Tournament. The hard training and preparation carried out prior to our departure for Copenhagen paid dividends and it demonstrated once again that despite our small catchment area we can compete with the best. We now look forward to the next international tournament to be held in Zurich in May 2022.”

 

 WHAT IS WALKING FOOTBALL? 

 Walking Football is a different version of the beautiful game.
 Walking Football is a walking pace version of football for men and women.  It is a non-contact activity where any player who sprints, runs or jogs while the ball is in play concedes a free-kick to the other team.

 HOW WALKING FOOTBALL IS PLAYED
 •  Running is not allowed. A participant always has to have one foot on the ground.
 •  Matches are played with modified formats (5v5/6v6) on smaller pitches with shortened game times
 • It is a non-contact version of the game.
 •  The ball cannot be kicked above head height.
 • There is no heading of the ball.
 • The focus is on fun and making friends. 

The full travelling party to Copenhagen consisted of: 

Players: Abudarham Eric, Baglietto Frank, Federico Eliott, Figueras Victor, GuerreroEddie(Player/Manager), Lugaro Hector, Martinez Diego, Moudden Mohamed, Pecino Jaime, Perez Jimmy, Sene Andy, Zammit Charles.

Accompanying Members: Ghio Luis, Fortunato Charles, Langston Albert.

Travelling officials: Gibraltar FA Delegate: Asquez Leslie, Physiotherapist: Mitchell David, Manager: Guerrero Eddie, Asst Manager: Britto Gerry, Coach: Stych Roy, Assistant Coach: Field George, Contingent Coordinator: Beltran Dennis, Match Delegate: Reyes Jon, Referee: Jones Dennis. 

Cauliflower Ears and mental health; how the Gibraltar Rugby Football Union (GRFU) is addressing mental health within its
membership and within the organisation.

All sports have a stereotypical image and Rugby has many to choose from, but the overriding narrative is that it’s a tough sport played by tough people.  At our domestic competitive level and above, that is superficially true – I’ll explain that statement later… But what does “tough” mean? 

Historically clubs and unions have focused on providing services that help promote and care for players physical health. We know that Rugby is a tough physical sport and at this point I’ll thank our hard-working physiotherapist, Joyce, for her sterling work in patching us all up, but for this up-and-coming season, the GRFU is putting into place a support network of trained mental health first aiders (Cauliflower Ears) to support its members, officers and the wider rugby family’s mental health, by recognising those that need help and offering information and sign posting to relevant services if required.

So, what does tough mean? In a rugby context, we generally talk about the physical demands of the game and the contact that is made when one player tackles another player, or two packs scrum down, however physical toughness does not automatically translate into a well-balanced, healthy mental frame of mind.  In fact, frequently physical toughness is often a façade used to hide behind or compensate for poor mental health.  We all have mental health (as we do physical) – some good some poor but we all have it.

Society is as a whole becoming more open in discussing our mental health, however the stark reality is that one of the highest causes of death in young men (our core membership) is still suicide.  Recognising this and its link to poor mental health, the Cauliflower Ears were formed and are a group of friendly, non-judgemental faces, that are there to listen and start a conversation, hopefully reducing the stigma of admitting you’re not well and need help.  It really is OK not to be OK – our Cauliflower Ears understand that and are happy to listen, whether that happens  in the clubhouse over a pint, or by the side of the training pitch or through a phone call, they are there to listen.

The Cauliflower Ear project was born after watching a programme on the TV that highlighted Prince’s Harry and William efforts to raise awareness of mental health issues amongst young men and implementation of support provided to football players.  This got me thinking and wondering what is being done for rugby players. 

Within the sport of Rugby in the UK there are several existing charities and initiatives across clubs and unions that provide players with help with their mental health (Looseheadz , Rugby Players Association – Restart and Lift the Weight Campaigns).  Once such initiative which offered a  potentially transferable solution was the Cauliflower Ear Programme run by the Lancashire Rugby Union (LRU). The LRU were providing a free professional counselling service to all members of constituent clubs within their union offering mental health and emotional well-being support. Unfortunately, due to financial constraints, this was not an option for the GRFU, what was required was a low cost, low risk, reliable and resilient solution that could offer members information on mental health and well-being support.  Having considered various options and gained the support of Lancashire RFU to keep the Cauliflower Ears name as well as supporting artwork the GRFU settled on the option of providing a network of trained mental health first aiders (MHFA’s) across the union to support its membership.

The UK mental health charity Mind have designed mental health aid first training that equips  first aiders with the knowledge and skills to recognise those that may be struggling with their mental health and offer information and sign post to relevant mental health services if required, in Gibraltar this training is delivered by Clubhouse Gibraltar using the Mind framework.

The Cauliflower Ear project brief was submitted for approval to the GRFU, outlining the costs, commitments and outcomes, which was unanimously approved.  It was clear from the outset that we would need help to establish how the project was going to be delivered and a steering group was formed consisting of representatives from GibSams, Clubhouse Gibraltar and ChildLine.  This group met on various occasions acting as a sounding board, advisor and critical friend in helping us establish strengths, weaknesses, personal and organisational risk contained within delivery of such a  project.  We will be forever grateful for these organisations historical and ongoing support in our delivery of the Cauliflower Ear project and it is true to say  that we wouldn’t be in a position to deliver it without their help. 

We now have six “Cauliflower Ears” trained by Clubhouse Gibraltar that will operate across the GRFU.   We have also implemented supporting procedures and processes to help us manage and mitigate any potential personal and organisational risk in the delivery of the project.  As a small (personnel wise) and volunteer led organisation it is important to have safety nets and support networks to use if required by Cauliflower ears as we are acutely aware that it is essential to look after the people that are looking after our people.  Again our steering group partners have been instrumental in helping us to understand and plan for this as well as offering invaluable help and  resources should our Cauliflower ears need help, advice or a knowledgeable and confidential second opinion. 

We will be publicising the Cauliflower Ears across all normal platforms and hope to have an event highlighting mental health in the early part of the 2021-22 season, which we hope out steering group partners will attend.   Artwork from the Lancashire Rugby Union campaign will be regularly used to encourage everyone in the rugby family that’s its ok not to be OK and it’s important to talk about mental health.

The GRFU would like to say a BIG thank you to Gary Morgan – Rugby Safe Lead at the Lancashire RFU for supporting our use of the Cauliflower Ears name and artwork and our hugely supportive steering group partners Gibsams, Clubhouse Gibraltar and Childline for all their advice and support in getting this initiative off the ground.  We would also like to extend our thanks to the local company who has generously provided financial support to get this project off the ground.

The Gibraltar FA is delighted to have officially launched its latest initiative aimed at the development of future generations of local footballers – the Gibraltar FA Academy.  

For the first time ever, all youngsters who want to play football, whatever their skill levels and abilities, will register with the Gibraltar FA Academy, instead of the Associations club members, which has been the case up until now. 

The first Gibraltar FA Academy cohort will begin in September 2021 for all children who are entering Reception and Year 1 this academic year. All other young footballers will remain with their clubs as per last year. 

The Academy, which is open for all children, (boys and girls), will run in conjunction with school years, so the children attending will be enjoying their football with their friends, as opposed to potentially being split up into the more traditional footballing age groups.  Sessions, which will will run in line with the school calendar, will take place on Wednesday evenings and Sunday Mornings, at the Victoria Stadium.  

A key part of groundwork that has been done, prior to launching the Academy, has been an in-depth recruitment process, overseen by the Gibraltar FA’s Technical and HR Departments, to ensure all the new Academy coaches are trained in basic first aid and safeguarding as well as have passed all the relevant local authority (Royal Gibraltar Police) vetting procedure. This is over and above the standard coaching badges and qualifications that each Academy Coach is required to have. 

The Gibraltar FA and its Club Members believe that every child should have the right to participate and play football, regardless of their individual skill level and ability, free from pressure of any kind placed upon them. Therefore, the new Academy will begin the process of setting each youngster off on their footballing journey, where they can hopefully progress and develop their talent and one day fulfil their footballing dream whilst simultaneously and simply allowing each child to have fun whilst playing football. All of this will be carried out in a safe and inclusive environment in which all children will learn the basics of our game.

An integral part of the Gibraltar FA’s commitment to youth development, the Academy is the product of a year-long collaborative process between the Association, Gibraltar’s football clubs and other stakeholders within the football community.

The Gibraltar FA’s General Secretary, Ivan Robba, is thrilled to have been able to launch the project:

“The establishment and launch of the all-new Gibraltar FA Academy is a hugely important step forward for youth football in on the Rock. It represents a shift in focus and a whole new approach towards the way in which our youngsters will begin their footballing journey. Young footballers will now enjoy learning and playing football, regardless of their ability, and their skill levels and this is something all of us involved in Gibraltarian football have been striving to achieve for many years.

I am particularly pleased that the Academy brings together the sterling work that has been carried out over the past year by ourselves at the Association in close co-operation with our Clubs, who have always been instrumental and hugely important in youth football in Gibraltar. This project shows everyone that the football community, as one, is pulling in the same direction, and the right direction, to ensure our children and our children’s children can have the best possible opportunities to learn and enjoy the beautiful game that we all love in a safe, comfortable and fun filled environment.”

The Gibraltar Football Associations’ Summer Camp came back with a bang this year, with over 150 children between the ages of 5 and 12, taking part the two week-long programme of fun themed football activities.

As a result of COVID related restrictions, the 2020 edition of the annual Summer Camp had to be cancelled. However, with youth sport up and running once again, the Gibraltar FA set out an ambitious plan to make the 2021 edition the best summer camp yet!  

Planning for the Summer Camp began well over three months before its scheduled start date of the 12th July. Key to everything was a planned and targeted recruitment drive to secure a team of motivated, enthusiastic and skilled coaches to deliver the sessions at the camp. In fact, all of the selected coaches not only had to prove they had their relevant coaching licenses, but they had to attend safeguarding and basic first aid courses as well as go through a Royal Gibraltar Police ‘vetting’ process to. 

Once all of the Coaching staff were in place, a number of preparation seminars were arranged by the Gibraltar FA’s Technical Department, led by Desi Curry the Association’s Technical Director, along with Laura McGinn the Gibraltar FA’s Women’s Football Manager and Jansen Moreno who has recently become the new Football Development Officer.  These seminars set out the clear plan for the two weeks of the camp, with each day mapped out, giving each of the coaches the preparation they needed to deliver an enjoyable footballing experience to every youngster at the camp. 

Another first for the 2021 edition of the summer camp, was the move to online registration, allowing parents to register their children digitally, free of charge and from the comfort of their own home.  Registrations were opened up on the 1st of June and within 48 hours the camp was oversubscribed!

As the children arrived at the Victoria Stadium for the start of the Summer Camp, on the 12th July, they were met by Gibraltar FA staff who signed them all in individually and directed them to their relevant areas, groups and sessions. Another main difference this year saw the move to split the children up into their school year groups as opposed to their traditional footballing age groups. This move proved to be extremely positive as it ensured that not only were the children attending grouped with other children of the same age, but most importantly with their friends, giving them a greater opportunity to enjoy themselves and have fun at the camp.  

Furthermore, not only were the children enjoying their football with their friends and classmates, they were doing so on the new recently re-laid pitches at the Victoria Stadium! The brand-new surface on the Stadium’s main pitch is a state-of-the-art and FIFA certified. 

The long overdue upgrade on Pitch 2, which has seen the same surface installed as on the main pitch, is just the start of the Association’s long-term goal of developing all footballing infrastructure on the Rock. 

One of the key aspects to the children’s enjoyment of the summer camp was the Friday ‘Jumping Castle Day’. Bouncing castles were brought in to give the children something else to enjoy during their time at the camp and this added feature proved to be a huge hit amongst all of the children present.  

Another innovation in this year’s edition of the camp was the installation of a giant football recycling bin, following the theme of the dolphin recycling bins that can be seen at Gibraltar’s beaches. With the need for all the youngsters to remain hydrated at all times, the Gibraltar FA has always been acutely conscious of the fact that it is not always easy for children to ensure they bring a reusable water bottle on a daily basis, or indeed every time they play football at one of the facilities at the Victoria Stadium. Therefore, the new recycling bin, which had been produced in conjunction with Selina Ltd, already provides an excellent collection point for any single use plastic that needs to be disposed of at the Stadium. All coaches at the summer camp were actively encouraging any of the youngsters in attendance to make use of the bin should they need to, as well as stressing the importance of recycling any single use plastic. 

Speaking at the conclusion of the camp, the Gibraltar FA’s Technical Director Desi Curry was extremely delighted with the 2021 edition and already looking forward to exciting new initiatives on the horizon for youth football on the Rock: 

“I am extremely grateful to all the staff who meticulously planned the event for well over three months to ensure we were totally prepared. Each and every one of our 25 strong coaching team and all of our extra on-site support staff who we have had have been amazing. We have been very pleased to be able to welcome over 150 children, on a daily basis, for the two weeks of the camp in a fun safe and inclusive environment for them to enjoy playing and learning about football with no pressure on them at all. As a result, we have now set the standard in terms of the quality of the sessions and Coaching camps that the Gibraltar FA can put on and this Summer camp is just the beginning of a whole new programme for youth football that will develop over the next few years in Gibraltar.”