FEATURE: New high for York City Knights Ladies as women's rugby league continues to grow

The team have so far won eight of their nine games in all competitions this term and currently sit top of the Women's Summer Merit League - and they have now reached the final of the Women's RL Challenge Shield too.

Former York Acorn ARLC player and current junior coach North, who took charge of the team six games into the campaign, says it is an exciting time for all concerned.

“The ladies had won four games in a row when I went down to watch them,” said North, who himself had a season with the Knights’ former under-21s set-up and also spent a year with Hull FC’s U18s.

“They won their next two games without a coach, so when I was approached to do it until the end of the season I gladly accepted. It is a very exciting prospect to take over such a good rugby team.

“Women’s rugby league is getting bigger and bigger. There is a winter and a summer competition and lots of teams taking part.

"People like Leeds Rhinos’ Jamie Jones-Buchanan are promoting the game and big clubs like Bradford Bulls and Castleford Tigers have established women’s teams.”

Indeed, the Knights Ladies' sole defeat this season came to Cas Tigers in the Yorkshire Cup quarter-final 11 days ago - a narrow 16-8 loss to a side sitting top of the Women's Premier League competition.

However, after beating another Women's Premier side, Barrow Ladies, in the last eight of the Challenge Shield a month ago, they were then given a walkover against Whitley Bay Barbarians in last weekend's semi-final to automatically advance to the final. They had hammered the Tyne and Wear side 48-8 in the Merit League earlier this month.

As for the loss to Castleford, North, 29, could not have been prouder of his side.

“It was the best performance of the season by far," he said. "Due to injuries we had to play the last 30 minutes with one less player.

“We had worked on our defence the week before in training and I was so proud of their efforts. That day they were phenomenal - hand on heart it was the best defensive display I have seen by any side in my 14 years as a player and a coach.

"Even Lindsay Anfield, Castleford's coach, said we deserved to win the game.

“I have been so impressed with their efforts this season and I am really proud to be their coach.”

York will face the Army Ladies in the Challenge Shield final on Sunday, July 30 at a venue to be confirmed. They return to Merit League action before then, with a trip to Huddersfield this Sunday and a home game against Brighouse on July 16.

One of the players, second-rower Alisha Clayton, said: “We are really proud to have reached the final.

“We've received so much support from the Knights and the city in general so it's nice to be able to make them proud too and hopefully we'll get a win on the day.

“All the girls love playing and we're a very passionate team. It's really given us a huge confidence boost and we're going to try our best to bring the Shield back to York.”

The Knights Ladies' team were launched last year to play in the new Women's Summer Merit League, which is effectively a feeder competition to the Women's Premier competition.

Formed in partnership with the Knights Foundation, it was based on the previous York Ladies team, who had not long since won the Women's Rugby League Association (winter season) League and Challenge Cup double. New players have since arrived from the student arena, rugby union and touch rugby league.

They were initially coached by Andy Fletcher but he had to step down earlier this year due to other commitments.

They train and play matches at the Knights' York St John University training base in Haxby Road and also share the League One club's backroom support.

North says the support from the Knights and the Foundation this season has been "brilliant".

"They provide us with brilliant training and matchday facilities which has been a big part of our success this year," he said. "It is fantastic for women’s rugby in the city."