WITH Women's and Girls rugby continuing to thrive at Kingsey Road it is important to celebrate every milestone possible, and today we will see our first homegrown Kite take to the field.

Packing down at No 8 will be teenager Ash Dulson-Ormsby, who will be making her Kites debut and playing her first game of senior rugby.

Although this afternoon's match should have been the NC 1 South East (West) opener against Teddington Antlers, another opponent has been found and Old Albanian Saints 2nd will travel to Kingsey Road for a friendly. Also recently promoted to the fourth tier, this should prove to be a good test against a side which play in NC 1 East.

Ash's Chinnor journey started in 2020 when a friend invited her along to Under 18s training. She was no stranger to rugby - she started at the age of four at Wheatley - but had not played since 2016 due to there being no girls offering at her previous club.

She is now about to make her senior debut for Chinnor and feels honoured to become our first homegrown Kite.

"It's really nice to know that it's appreciated like this when you go up through the ranks," said the 18-year-old, who normally plays at tighthead prop.

"I think it will feel pretty good knowing I am the first person to play for the Kites after playing girls rugby at Chinnor.

"The Kites coaches and players have been great with me. They have been helping me improve different areas of my game, with an emphasis on my weaknesses.

"I am really looking forward to the match.

"It will be a good challenge to see where I am with my game and what I then need to work on for the games ahead."

This milestone follows the fantastic news that 11 Chinnor players have been selected for the Oxfordshire Girls U16 England Rugby Developing Player Programme, while this season we will run girls teams at U12, U14, U16 and U18.

Ash added: "It's great to see those Under 16s being selected for the programme, because I have seen week in and week out how much effort they have all been putting in.

"All of the girls across all of the age groups at Chinnor work so hard on improving and developing their game.

"It's great to see the Club offering girls rugby at under 12s through to 18s, because it's keeping everyone playing."