ONE of York's greatest-ever players has been named the Lion of the Year.

Record holder Mick Sullivan, one of only seven players to have played for Great Britain in a Test match while with York, was awarded the Tom Mitchell Memorial Trophy - named after the 1958 Lions tour manager - at the RL Lions Annual Reunion Lunch in Bradford.

The 68-year-old followed the likes of Billy Boston and Roger Millward to become the fifth winner of the prestigious award, which he collected before a capacity 520 audience.

Many of his fellow Lions of the 1950s and '60s, including Boston, Alex Murphy, Alan Davies, Neil Fox, Austin Rhodes, Glyn Moses and John Whitely, were also present.

He said: "I loved playing for Great Britain, especially against the Australians. An international cap is the highest honour a player can achieve, and I'm delighted to see that Test matches and tours are coming back to the international calendar.

"To follow these previous winners makes me really proud to win the trophy."

Sullivan is Great Britain's most capped player with 46 Test caps (a record he jointly holds with Garry Schofield), which include a record 36 consecutive matches. He scored a record 43 international tries between 1954 and 1963, plus a record 38 tries on a single tour to Australia, in 1958.

A former Huddersfield, Wigan and St Helens left-winger, he made just one Test appearance during his time with York, his international exit against Australia in 1963.

A plumber by trade, when he signed for Wigan from Huddersfield in 1957, the £9,500 fee was a then world record.

He is also the 18th-highest British-based try-scorer of all time, with 342 touchdowns to his name in 14 seasons. Twelve of those came during his time at York, for whom he made 44 appearances between 1962 and 1964/5.

He had also thrilled the York crowd when he was in the Yorkshire team which played Australia at York's old Clarence Street home in 1959.

FORMER York Wasps boss Lee Crooks is set to complete a coaching county double.

Crooks, who led Yorkshire in the Origin match last summer while coach at Huntington Stadium, is to take charge of the Yorkshire Women's side for the series against their North West counterparts.

The opening game of the series is at Post Office Road, Featherstone, on Sunday, March 24; the second match is at Cougar Park, Keighley, on April 14; and the third is on May 19 at a venue to be decided.

WASPS are looking to run a bus to the game against Hunslet Hawks at South Leeds Stadium a week tomorrow.

It would leave Huntington Stadium at 1pm, and cost £6 return (admission to match not included).

To book a seat contact the club on 01904 634636. Kick off that day is 3.30pm.

Updated: 11:11 Saturday, February 16, 2002