Last week saw more than 80 girls from 11 Leeds schools take part in two rugby league tournaments organised by Leeds Rhinos Foundation.
Girls Year 7/8 MEARS Tournament:
On Tuesday, Leeds Rhinos Foundation welcomed seven Leeds schools to take part in the annual MEARS Girls’ Rugby Tournament at The Morley Academy.
The tournament saw some great rugby played and it was really pleasing to see some new and developing schools taking part in Temple Learning Academy, Crawshaw Academy and Benton Park Champion Schools. National Finalists Corpus Christi proved too strong for their opposition though, going unbeaten to retain the Mears Trophy for a second successive year.
Lois Forsell, Women and Girls Development Officer for Leeds Rhinos Foundation, said: ‘We love running the MEARS tournament in the summer, as it rounds off a great year of Girls’ Schools Rugby League and it’s also a really powerful tool for increasing participation in the sport.”
“The launch of Leeds Rhinos Women has given young girls in Leeds inspiration and a goal of playing Women’s Super League representing their home town of Leeds and we’re proud to be doing all we can to grow the women and girls game across the city.”
Girls Year 5/6 Primary Contact Tournament:
Last Wednesday saw Leeds Rhinos Foundation run our annual Girls Year 5/6 Primary Contact Rugby Tournament at Leeds West Academy, where we welcomed Ingram Road, Lawnspark, Lower Wortley and Woodlesford Primary Schools to the event.
The event began with a coaching carousel, where the girls were able to practise their tackling, scoring, play the ball skills with Rugby League Development Officers Kyle Furner, Joe Sanderson, Shannon Lacey and Lois Forsell. The schools then faced each other in the tournament, battling it out to take home the Girls Year 5/6 Contact Rugby Shield.
After a thrilling draw in the opening game between Lower Wortley Primary School and Woodlesford Primary School, both sides went unbeaten through the rest of the competition to be crowned as joint-winners, with Woodlesford retaining their title after triumphing 12 months ago.
Forsell said: “The matches we’ve seen today have been great and it’s been particularly pleasing to watch all the girls all grow in confidence; tackle by tackle and run by run.
“They have all worked so hard and did their schools proud. Thank you to everyone who took part.”