Girls in Wales will no longer be able to play mixed rugby with boys beyond under-11s from the 2023/24 season and female age bandings will change, the Welsh Rugby Union has announced.
The maximum age of mixed rugby is being reduced from U13s at the end of the current season following a review into the female community game, which was launched in spring 2022 and included a consultation process involving more than 1,700 players, coaches, parents and stakeholders, plus input from "experts in varying fields including medical, physiological sport development, and other sectors".
The WRU community rugby department had recommended lowering the maximum age mixed rugby can be played to the end of the U11s season. The recommendation has since been unanimously adopted by the WRU's Community Game Board, and the governing body says the community department will be engaging with clubs across Wales to "ensure the smooth transition of players into their local WRU female hub". There are 37 of them across Wales.
