A rugby player from Wootton Bassett is celebrating her fifth year as President of the Supermarine Rugby Football Club. She is the first ever woman to take on the position.
To mark her fifth year as president of the Supermarines, Pixie Bickell, a teaching assistant at the Royal Wootton Basset Academy, is making her President's Day all about inclusivity.
The Supermarine President’s Day, on Saturday 21 September, also coincides with the 30th anniversary since ladies first joined the club. Miss Bickell, 43, says she wants the event to showcase the club’s progression as well as her own values.
She said: "Each president has their own take on how they celebrate being president of the club. My vision, and my focus for the day is inclusion and involvement.
"The ladies’ section has become more and more involved in the main committee. When I first started rugby there was only something like three female presidents in the whole of the UK. That’s not the case now. I feel really honoured, especially as I was nominated."
This Saturday, from 10am until late, Miss Bickell and the Supermarines will be hosting everything from rugby matches and bouncy castles, to a beer festival and raffle. She says she wants the day to reflect her own positive experiences from the club since she joined 27 years ago.
"My first training session is something that I will never forget," she says. "We had to go on a run around the industrial estate at South Marston and at 17 I didn’t have the mindset to carry on running. I thought, ‘This is too much, I can’t keep going’.
"But two of the older players linked their arms with my arms and encouraged me with their words and physical dragging to the very end, and I had never met them before. They supported me both physically and mentally, and they made me feel part of a family.
"I was really welcomed and supported and given the encouragement and mindset that ‘I can do this; I can keep going’.
"The main focus on Saturday is for everybody to feel appreciated and get that blue family-feel that we have. We’re there to encourage the development of every individual to be the best that they can possibly be.
"With encouragement from the blue family I went onto play county, then regional, and then trained with the England Academy squad.
"Now I’m on the older end of the spectrum, - and my days are numbered with how long I can carry on playing - so my focus is now more on the future generation by coaching and encouraging a family-style support."
On Saturday there will be a series of rugby matches throughout the day including a touch rugby tournament, Mini & Juniors, a senior ladies match and a senior men's match. The event is free to attend with all the money raised from the touch rugby tournament going to Bowel Cancer UK.
The event, which is being officially sponsored by Monarch Roofing and The Queen's Tap, will also feature a variety of stalls including one from Swindon & Wiltshire Pride. Miss Bickell added: "It's all part of the inclusivity. It doesn’t matter whether you’re female or male; if you’re gay or straight; if you’re black or white; it’s all about the love of the game - anyone can enjoy rugby.
"This is also the first time that the minis and juniors will be playing on President’s Day. It's going to be really fun and there’s some really good rugby to watch and be played."
The Supermarine President's Day takes place Saturday 21 September, from 10am until late, at the Supermarine Rugby Football Club, Supermarine Road, South Marston, Swindon, SN3 4BZ.
For further information visit www.facebook.com/SupermarineRFC/
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