Ashbourne RFC’s unsung hero wins £5,000 to support grassroots rugby

The competition invited clubs to nominate ‘unsung heroes’ whose selfless dedication and commitment have made a real difference, offering them the chance to win £5,000 for their club.

Amy Terava began volunteering for Ashbourne RFC in 2023 when she decided to set up a women’s section with her wife, Jennamari. With 55 women now on the books, the team offers a pressure-free space to play - and new players often bring a friend along to try out the sport. Despite injury and post-surgery recovery, Amy attends every training session, Sunday extras and Monday night fitness sessions - all of which are coordinated by Amy and Jenn.

When setting up the women’s section of Ashbourne RFC, Amy focused on using social media to build a profile for the team and attract sponsorship - which included securing sponsorship from the firm where she works by day as an accountant.

Club members praised Amy’s dedication to the team in their nominations, highlighting her ability to inspire and challenge members to improve, saying: “Without her, our team would not be in the place it is today, and many of us would not even be in the world of rugby without this team, she has truly changed the world of women’s rugby here at our end of Derbyshire.”

Speaking about the team’s growth: Amy said: “We thought to start with it might be a slow process and we might just get five to 10 people at training, but the growth has been incredible. It’s nice to be involved in something we didn’t even have the option to do at school; that’s the key to why we are enjoying it now. As with all women’s teams, it can be a bit different, there can be much more of a revolving door. We have 10 players who are pregnant or injured at this moment for instance.”

The £5,000 prize will go towards drainage improvements on the club’s three rented pitches, helping to weatherproof them and allow play to continue through the winter.

Ben Coles, rugby reporter at The Telegraph and one of the judges of the Making a Difference campaign said: “Amy’s story is a perfect example of the impact one person can have on a community. Her dedication to building a community and a welcoming space for women in sport truly stood out to us and is exactly what the ‘Making a Difference’ campaign was designed to celebrate.’

To learn more about the competition and the other winners visit here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/grassroots-rugby-heroes/english-scottish-winners/