UCLU Women’s Rugby end their season on an outstanding high. But it’s not over yet.

After their triumphant victory at Varsity, (for those of you who missed out on the action, we’ll all assume that you were glued to the edge of your seat for the duration of the two matches, keeping up to date on UCL Buzz’s live feed) UCLU Women’s Rugby just keep on winning.

Not only have the ball hugging girls been undefeated this season – winning the ULU Challenge Cup Final, finishing top of the ULU league and delivering themselves heroically to the BUCS Trophy Final – Sports Ball 2012 gave them the ultimate chance to shine.

Amidst cacophonies of ‘Burlington Bertie’ and bustles of food and drink at a suitably posh venue, Sports Ball is the only time when all UCLU sports teams come together on a pseudo-civilised basis to show their love and support for one another, their mutual respect and to showcase their spectacular talents. There were awards aplenty to celebrate all the clubs who had made a significant and special contribution to our university this year in all their sporting glory.

Well, mostly Women’s Rugby.

Dressed to impress with not a smear of mud in sight, the girls went on to win everything they were nominated for. Surprising? Not really. Their outstanding range of achievements in the UCLU sporting world carried them over the try-line to win Club of the Year, Volunteering Club of the Year, and UCLU Sports Stars Gold Award (also shared with Netball and Women’s Hockey), combining their incredible performances in the league tables with unbreakable team morale and inclusion of anyone willing to share their passion for strangely shaped balls. Or even just a drink in the union.

If that’s not enough, the RFU President's XV Awards also chose our Women’s Rugby team for their Young Volunteers Club of the Year. And that’s certainly not something to take lightly.

Eleanor Trezise, who has devoted her soul to the ever expanding sports club, was duly awarded Captain of the Year, being quoted as, amongst other small victories, “annoying the CSC the least” – and that’s apparently no mean feat. She also won the Mandy Walker Sports Personality of the Year to celebrate leading her team to countless victories and also the fantastic job she did as the UCL Olympics Ambassador. In true rugby-girl style, she was made to down a trophy full of wine on behalf of the entire club.

She survived. Just.

So what now for a team who has apparently achieved everything they possibly can this year? Well, the challenge isn’t over yet. 28th March marks the BUCS 1A Trophy Final where the girls will go head to head with Newcastle University for the first time in the club’s history – something which few clubs ever achieve. Both teams are undefeated; both teams are playing to claim themselves champions of university women’s rugby teams throughout Great Britain.

Doris Chen, UCLU WRFC President and winner of this year’s Sports Officer Award (yet another prize to add to the Women’s Rugby hoard), comments, “Sports Ball was unbelievable and I cannot thank everyone who’s contributed to the season enough. I am so proud of our achievements thus far and look forward to the biggest match in our club’s history in the BUCS Trophy Final".

Neither can we.

If you want to go and support your women in the BUCS Trophy Final next Wednesday, you can watch them kick off at 11am at Richmond Rugby Club (details here). Whether the trophy ends up in the hands of our Northern rivals or on home soil, it will not only mark the end of a victorious year for UCL and a record breaking accomplishment for the team, but the end of a year where an amazing group of girls worked and bonded together over a shared passion for sport and all its rewards.

Expect them back next year fighting harder than ever to maintain their reputation of dominance on the pitch, off the pitch and everywhere in between.

And maybe you’ll even join them…