Bridlington’s Sophia Topham has been selected for the under-15s Northern Division Academy squad after impressing while playing for Yorkshire.
She was selected for the county in November, but her performances have caught the eye and have seen her chosen to play at the next level.
Being part of the Northern squad puts her in the top 120 players in her age group nationally.
Topham began playing rugby at Dukes Park in Bridlington at the age of four, before moving to Driffield when she was 11.
When she had to stop playing mixed rugby, a lack of local teams saw her move to play for an all-girls team at West Park Leeds, where she plays at centre, or on the wing.
Training with the Northern squad includes weekends away in Sheffield, while matches are played in Birmingham against Southern Divisional sides. Topham is also be hoping to make it through to the Talent Development Camp towards the end of the season.