South Pembrokeshire Sharks: Building Champions on the Coast

Despite COVID disrupting their plans and leading to their under-16 team disbanding, the Sharks have bounced back spectacularly. South Pembrokeshire Sharks has received £2,621 of National Lottery funding distributed through Sport Wales, with targeted grants including £1,179 for a new under-8s team and £1,167 for hub development.

"The National Lottery funding has really helped the club," said Coach Jamie Barrellie. "This year, we invested in a couple of nicer, bespoke pads for the girls. Without that kind of funding, we would have never had that which is vital for the game."

The results are remarkable. Jamie Barrellie started a new U11s squad and has coached them through to become this year's first U18s Sharks squad. They've been unbeaten for 18 months at U14s level, won the U14s Winter Cup, and became West Wales and Welsh 7s Champions.

The success statistics speak volumes: 14 girls represented the County at U14s level, 4 former under-16 players now play for Scarlets, 3 girls currently represent the West Welsh PDC Team, and 1 player is in the U18s Welsh Summer Squad.

The club's growing reputation has attracted visits from Wales star Jasmine Joyce, providing real inspiration for young female players. Last season, The Sharks had 60+ girls across three age groups, making them one of the biggest hubs in Pembrokeshire.

As England hosts the Women's Rugby World Cup this summer, we're witnessing the culmination of three decades of National Lottery support that has transformed women and girls' rugby from the grassroots up. This success demonstrates how over the last 30 years, by investing over £6 billion into more than 90,000 grassroots clubs and organisations, The National Lottery has been game-changing for women and girls' sport, creating sustainable growth in women's rugby and building foundations from which future international stars can emerge.