History was made on Sunday when women representing Epping Upper Clapton RFC made their very first outing as a Ladies XV, as they were beaten by an experienced Hackney Gladies side 20-5.

A large crowd gathered to witness the game with Hackney, whose ladies section has been up and running for nearly 10 years and are able to field two sides, illustrating the growing demand for ladies’ rugby.

It was therefore no surprise when the visitors went ahead very early on in the contest.

Two tries were scored out wide as Hackney showed more ability in how to handle and move the ball.

However, Clapton responded well and eventually started to turn their months of training ground efforts into cohesive play on the field.

The opposition was relentless however, and their superior game knowhow rewarded them with a further try before half-time.

The second half was a much more open affair, allowing Vicky Storrar to write her name into Epping’s history books as the first female in the club’s history to score a try.

This encouraged all the Clapton players, who held their own and possibly even edged the second period of the match.

However just before the final whistle, Hackney scored a further try to complete the scoring for the day.

Epping now look forward to further developing this section of their club, with more games planned in the lead up to Christmas and a growing number of younger girls hoping to form their own team within the junior ranks very soon.