Rugby union: Liverpool St Helens girls do their club proud

The Liverpool Post
Feb 9 2012

WITH a frozen pitch causing the inevitable postponement of last Saturday’s North One West clash at Wirral and the recent cold snap bringing a suspension of all the usual rugby activity at Moss Lane, club life still goes on.

The senior squad swap the pitch for the gym in preparation for the hoped for rearranged fixture this Saturday against Wirral and the floodlit car park provides an outdoor alternative. Weather permitting, the 2nd XV, following victories over Wilmslow and Stockport look forward to their Raging Bull Cup Quarter Final against Birkenhead Park at Moss Lane this Saturday.

On Sunday the Lane hosts a County U20 encounter between Lancashire and Cumbria. LSH’s James Laycock features in the Lancashire squad whilst Ally Sutherland is still on the sidelines following a shoulder injury picked up in the last County U20 outing.

The LSH Girls section meanwhile, is celebrating a record number of call ups to the North of England squad to take part in matches against the Midlands, the South East and the South West in the RFUW Divisional Rugby Programme.

LSH Captain Alison Burrows, Laura Davidson and Lydia Hughes, who all play for LSH U18s, will be hoping to line up for the North in their first game in Birmingham on February 19.

The club’s U15s Girls are also well represented with a record seven players gaining a call-up to the North Division U15s team. Vice captain Emma McCartney, Rachael Woosey, Hannah Curran, Robyn Woodward, Molly Morrissey, Milly Cadman and Rebecca O’Dwyer all received the news last week after attending a gruelling divisional trial in Bradford.

Robyn Woodward’s selection represents a remarkable transition from her previous chosen activity of ballet dancing to playing Women’s Rugby Union. Robyn, a student at Knowsley Park Centre for Learning, only took up playing rugby at school last year and is in her first season at LSH.

LSH president Ray French said: “The Girls Section has really developed in recent years and nobody at the club is surprised at this excellent news. It’s great to see the girls get the recognition they deserve.”