Rugby Union: Littleborough's Pink Warriors take next steps towards playing professional rugby

Under 15s Ellie Fitzgerald, Kirsty Bella, Morgan Pearson, Courtney Mills and Ellie Overton

While the nations that make up the United Kingdom and Ireland go toe-to-toe in Rugby Union's Six Nations, closer to home, Littleborough rugby club's Pink Warriors’ rising talent and future stars are embarking on the next steps towards their dreams of playing professional rugby.

The youngsters, who have gone through the ranks of Littleborough’s mini and junior programmes, have excelled, proving worthy of attention from professional clubs, such as Huddersfield.

Erin Stott, who turns 16 in a months’ time, has been selected for Rugby League side Huddersfield Giants' senior ladies’ squad alongside Great Britain internationals. Huddersfield Giants Women are currently in the midst of preseason before the Championship season commences on Sunday 7 April.

Erin is finding herself having to pick between the two codes as she has been training with rugby union side Firwood Waterloo, a Premier 15's side, as well as being selected for Lancashire RFU at Under 18 age group alongside her Littleborough captain, Georgia Turner.

Last Sunday saw them add to their county caps with appearances against Cheshire and Yorkshire. In the first match at Doncaster Knights Castle Park ground, Lancashire beat Cheshire 27 points to nil, before narrowly losing to Yorkshire in a clash of the roses by a close five-nil scoreline.

In the below age group, Littleborough had a record six representatives selected for a place in the Lancashire Under 15s squad, where the likes of Ellie Overton, Ellie Fitzgerald, Morgan Pearson, Kirsty Bella and Tilda Robinson-Burgess joined captain and county regular Courtney Mills for matches against Cheshire, Yorkshire and Northumbria.

Unfortunately, there were some players at both Under 18 and 15 level for Littleborough that were unlucky not to have been selected in the squad and will in no doubt be in and amongst the selection again come the next audition.

All represented the club in an incredibly positive light: at Under 18 level, Chloe Boardman, Maisie Webb, Nayab Malik, Imogen Moules, Megan Greenwood and Grace Shepherd, while Ella Fearnley, Kiera Boardman, Molly Yates, Ebony Clegg and Amy Perren all trialled in the Under 15 category.