Local rugby volunteer 'honoured' by national award recognition

Manchester Rugby Club volunteer Nat Hall has been recognised nationally for helping young girls access rugby after becoming a national finalist as part of the Honda Volunteer Recognition Programme.

The Manchester-based teaching assistant is the Chair of the Minis and Juniors (M&J) section and has managed and developed over 50 coaches as well as overseeing a growth in membership in her section.

Such an impressive contribution saw Hall get selected as a national finalist in the Unsung Hero category from over 1,000 nominations, which celebrates those who have gone above and beyond to provide positive experiences.

“I was really surprised and feel quite honoured [to be selected],” said Hall. “It's just something that I do, and I feel that it has to be done. I'm really proud that people have acknowledged what I've done.

“We’ve got such a good team in M&J, and with the development of women's rugby, I can't really describe how impressed I am and how honoured I am [to see the growth]. I get quite moved by it.

“It's fantastic to know that these girls that I see on a daily basis are not going to have to stop playing and have to find a different sport to fill that gap.”

Nat Hall volunteers at Manchester Rugby Club Hall first started playing rugby in school but had to give it up due to a lack of provision in secondary school before finding MRC when she was 16.

After playing for the club for 14 years, Hall became a mother and subsequently started coaching when her first son reached the under-8s and wanted to start playing.“

Within two years, I was Chair of M&J basically. First there was a need for me to coach, and then there was a need for me to help with the fundraising,” she explained.

“When I was asked to be the chair of the section, it was a no-brainer because I understood how the club worked and the things that could be implemented to make a real difference.”

Since then, Hall has had a remarkable impact in Manchester. She has fostered community through initiatives like getting the 1st XV involved in coaching the younger age groups and lending her expertise to help Sale Sharks engage local clubs.

Throughout her role she employs a personal tagline ‘dedicated2development’, inspired to keep the club at a level that can help churn out more players in the mould of Harriet Millar-Mills, a 66 cap England international who began life at MRC.

“Making sure that we've got the coaches who are able to coach to that standard is really, really important,” Hall said.

“It's making sure that we've got a programme in place where we can share that information, and where people are honest, open and confident enough to be able to ask for help.”

It is an attitude that has paid dividends as Hall recently coached the first all-girls under-10 game at the club alongside her son.

“It was just brilliant. It was a really lovely thing to watch. They all absolutely loved it, both teams,” she said.

“Some of the women's team came down to watch as well. I was really proud of all the effort that the coaching team for that age group have put in as well.

“To keep all these girls coming through and to have that many girls playing for a mixed team is fantastic.”

Volunteers are the backbone of grassroots rugby in England. If you’d like to get involved and make a difference at your community club, visit: www.englandrugby.com/run/club-management/volunteers