HEWORTH junior coach Brent Ogilvie hopes the creation of the club's first junior girl's team can inspire the continued growth of the female game in York.

Heworth made history last weekend as its Under-14s side took part in the Stanningley Gala, becoming the city's first junior girl's side.

The U14s are in action tomorrow morning (10.30am), facing Cutsyke at Elmway Park, while the Villagers' U12s outfit play their very first match against Knottingley Mustangs on Saturday (10.30am).

“There must be loads of girls that’ll watch York City Knights Ladies, wanting to play, but there’s been no team in York," said Ogilvie.

“Hopefully it can snowball from here and have a knock-on impact at (York) Acorn and (New Earswick) All Blacks.

“I think some girls are a bit tentative about doing it. I don’t know if they’ll see what we’ve done, take it from there and keep trying.

“With social media, all the girls are putting their pictures out of them playing and obviously other girls see that.

“A few of them have just been training and they wanted to play a proper game.

"I think now if people see games happening, hopefully it’ll inspire girls to come down and play, at whatever club.

“That’d be perfect for me, I’m all about development and inclusion for everybody. I’m about York rugby league, I don’t do the club rivalries.

“It’s about getting as many kids playing as possible, boys and girls.

“Rugby league is brilliant for friends, fitness, getting out. I don’t think there’s a sport any better for that to be honest.”

Heworth had previously been limited in their ambition to press ahead with a girl's side due to restricted facilities, although these have since been improved.

After a social media post regarding a taster session earlier this summer, 36 girls turned up on just four days notice, increasing to over 40 the following week.

“Four weeks ago they didn’t know each other,” explained Ogilvie.

“Now they’re a really good team, there’s a strong bond between them all. You’re mates for life when you’re playing rugby together, and they’ve really come together.

“The team spirit is brilliant, it really surprised me. Coming from doing lad's rugby, I was a bit apprehensive but it’s been brilliant.

“They all get along really well now, they look after each other on the pitch, they’ve got each other's backs. It took off really quickly.

“I was just going to help get it started, but I’ll be staying on now with one of the girl's teams. We’ve got an U12s and U14s now, and we’re halfway there with the U16s. It’s a tricky age, but we’ll get there.

“I hope we can get Acorn and All Blacks going as well. I know they’ve been trying for a few years, but it’s just not been happening. If they could, it’d be great.”