27 girls made the trip down to Oxford RFC as Leicestershire Ladies kicked of their Gill Burns Div2 County Cup campaign with a resounding 30-7 win in an entertaining warm up game against Oxfordshire.

Leicestershire took the lead as early on as the 6th Minute with No8 Jade Shakespeare picking up a loose ball to go over from 5 meters out, the score was doubled on ten minutes when Centre Mireia Garcia Santiago showed some classy 7s skills, twice in successive tackles releasing the ball getting to feet and gathering the ball again to set up Prop Pippa Arkle for a 10-0 lead.

10 became 15 straight from the restart with arguably the best worked try of the game, Oxfordshire kicked deep finding full back Eleanor Udall who set of on a mazy run and the ball being offloaded cleverly with support from her fellow backs before the final pass found Flanker Danni Allen to dot down fr 15-0.

Allen got her second try just before half time after Leicestershire created an overlap on the left and Quick ball and a deft dummy pass allowed her to cross the whitewash to close the half out 20-0.

The large squad allowed for Wholesale changes in the second half and Leicestershire were straight back on the attack working the ball upfield were an infringement by the home side earned them a Scrum 5 meters out, replacement 8 Sharifa Kasolo picked from the back of the Scrum and her dart for the line saw her tackled short but quick thinking saw Scrum Half Francesca Rushton pick from the back of the ruck to dive over to take the lead out to 25-0 with 45 mins gone.

13 minutes later it was try time again when Prop Carla Jones cut a great line to take a deft pop pass to crash over for 30-0 which remained the score right up to the last play when Oxfordshire got on the board themselves with a well worked and well served Converted try for a final score of 30-7

There is a great strength in depth within this years squad and the county is represented by players from Loughborough Town  RFC, Loughborough Lightning, Loughborough Lightning Development, Lutterworth RFC, Coalville RFC, Leicester University, DMU University and Sileby Town. We would also like to thank former Backs coach Marc Birr and wish him well in his role as County Development Officer and former Forwards Coach George Richardson, we wish him well too.

This seasons programme sees Leicestershire play two away games and one home game. Next up is Round 1 of the pool games away against Warwickshire at Rugby Lions RFC on Sunday 28th April with a KO of 2pm.

Saturday 4th May sees Leicestershire play neighbours Staffordshire at Coalville RFC in a double header with the county men, a feast of County Rugby , KO 12.30.

Our final pool game on 12th May sees us travel to Sale RFC to take on Cheshire With A KO of 2.30.