THE 2011/12 season has been one of real progress for the Swindon Supermarine Ladies side.

While the club’s men’s team impressed in Dorset & Wilts 1 North, the ladies have been going about their business in the RFUW Championship South West 2, and performed well all season to finish a creditable fourth.

Led on the field by captain Claire Legg, Marine have played some of the most attractive rugby in the league, and coach Sean Millwaters is proud of the way his side go about playing the game.

“We are trying to play an expansive game, and we are one of the only teams in the league to do that really,” he said.

“You see a lot of teams play with the ball in one place and try and smash their way through, but we do not want to do that, we want to train our players to play rugby.

“As a set of coaches we want to teach the players to move the ball and get it into the hands of the backs whenever we can, and we are improving all of the time.

“We have done very well this season to be part of the breakaway group at the top of the league, and we have had some big wins while some of the games we have lost have been very tight ones.”

What makes the team’s achievements even more impressive is the fact eight members of their squad, including Candy Inskip, Nat Walker and Aileen Newport, had not played the game at all before the start of the season.

“They have all been great, because rugby is not the easiest game to come in and pick up straight away,” Millwaters said.

“Three or four of those have been outstanding for us this season, and they have taken to the game in a big way, and I am sure they will push on even further next season.

“We have a few good young players who are coming through too, so the future is looking bright for us.”

And next season Millwaters and everyone at the club will be looking to raise the bar even higher.

“We want to be looking to win the league next year, and I think that is a realistic goal for us if we keep going the way that we have been recently,” he said.

“I think because of the style we play and the way we try to go about things we have a very good chance, but it will require some work.

“We want to take this club as far as we can, but to do that the players really need to buy in to it all, so far they have done that and we have been rewarded.”