Cheltenham Bournside School's U13 girls rugby team, The Bruisers, have played their first ever competitive fixture.

Bournside hosted Five Acres High School in a friendly fixture, after two terms of training.

The girls, all new to rugby, have been focusing on the core values of the game during their weekly training sessions: teamwork; respect; enjoyment; discipline; and sportsmanship.

Miss Goddard, who coaches The Bruisers, said: "This has been an ambition at the school for some time and it was a proud moment for the PE department to host and play our first game.

"It was an incredibly competitive and entertaining fixture - the girls are all buzzing from the experience and are desperate for more matches!

"We've attempted to run girls' rugby in previous years, but we didn't have the uptake. This year couldn't be more different, we've had a great turn out to training each week, resulting in a fantastic display of technique and work rate during the game."

The girls were spurred on even further with a video message of good luck from former Cheltenham Bournside School student and Gloucester rugby player, Millie Wood, who encouraged them to embrace the occasion, work hard for each other and play with a smile on their faces.