School teams from Yorkshire and Lancashire came together in the build up to the Leeds Rhinos vs Wigan Warriors Super League game last week for a War of the Roses competition with involving school girls in years 7-10
With all four year groups due to play off against each other for the War of the Roses crown, it was all to play for this year for each of the counties, however due to some late drop outs from two of the Lancashire schools the eventual result came down to number of teams entered from Yorkshire.
To qualify for the tournament, teams entered from Lancashire were decided through early qualifying rounds organised by Wigan Warriors Foundation Development Officer Tommy Gallagher with Leeds schools in year 7 and 8 playing off for the chance to represent Yorkshire in a Roses qualifying event and the year 9 and 10 schools qualifying through the Leeds Girls Inter-League Competition.
With no Lancashire side entered in the year 7 playoff, Farnley Academy and Corpus Christi Catholic College played out the fixture with Farnley coming out on top 24-10 to record an automatic 1-0 series lead for Yorkshire.
It was unfortunately the same outcome for the year 8 competition with Yorkshire winning be default with the Lancashire dropping out of the fixture at late notice.
In the Year 9 competition, it was Lancashire who came out on top with a strong performance from Deanery High School in Wigan winning 36-10 against Leeds based Brigshaw High School.
In the closest game of the competition, the year 10 playoff was decided by a solitary 4 points in favour of David Young Community Academy who held of a spirited St Mary's of Leigh to wrestle back the War of the Roses scores to finish 1-1 overall.
To cap off the War of the Roses experience, schools from the competition were than invited to attend the Leeds Rhinos vs Wigan Warriors game at Headingley Carnegie Stadium with David Young Community Academy, Farnley Academy and St Mary's of Leigh all attending the game and taking part in the half time pitch parade.