IT'S not often a reporter gets up close and personal with 20 young ladies.

But that's exactly what happened when I put my body on the line at a training session with Malvern Angels, the town's all-female rugby team.

I was feeling slightly nervous as I pulled on a rugby shirt not worn since school and made my way to Spring Lane on a windy Tuesday evening.

Tuesday sessions are generally set aside for skills training, with full contact sessions on Thursdays, so after warming up, we got stuck in to a variety of ball-handling drills.

It very quickly became clear that these girls can really play, and it was no surprise to hear they are steamrollering their way to the West Midlands Four title in their first season of league rugby.

Having not played for the best part of 10 years, I think I got back into the swing of things fairly quickly, although one misplaced pass was met with a noticeable shout of "sympathetic passes" from head coach Pete Williams.

After a comprehensive skills session, the practice finished with a game of touch-rugby. This was great fun and I was just starting to rediscover the old magic when a second ball was introduced into play, somewhat complicating matters!

After an hour and a half, I had built up quite a sweat and was ready for the clubhouse, where I took the opportunity to get to know some of the team over a hard-earned beer.

From my brief experience of the Angels it was clear that there is more to the club than training and playing. The team often socialises together and has a good rapport that captain Debbie Danby believes sets them aside from some other teams.

"We're a social team that trains hard and goes out to win," she said. "We're all from different backgrounds but the rugby brings us all together."

It has also helped keep the team together and has contributed to the success the team is enjoying. Debbie told me that a lot of the team could play at a higher level, but want to realise their aspirations with the Angels.

"We want to take Malvern up together and we're very focused on achieving it," she said.

With promotion to the West Midlands Three league next year virtually assured they are well on their way.

Many of the Angels had never played rugby before they joined, and the club is always looking for new players of any experience to join them.

I had a really good time with the Angels and, while I'm not sure women's rugby is quite the sport for me, I'd recommend any ladies interested to have a go. The Angels train at Malvern Rugby Club, on Spring Lane, at 7pm on Tuesday and Thursday. Just show up for training or call Debbie Danby on 07815 060888.