Member Article

Laisterdyke Business and Enterprise College Inspire Through Rugby

England’s first Asian female Rugby League player, Saima Hussain, inspires year seven and eight girls from Laisterdyke Business and Enterprise College to embrace the West Yorkshire formed game and score a first for the school as it begins to form its first female only Rugby League team this term.

Working in partnership with Keighley Cougars head coach Paul March, Saima, sport development officer for Bradford Youth Development Partnership (BYDP), is coaching the eleven and twelve year olds on how to play Rugby League during their timetabled PE lessons; and encouraging positive attitudes towards sport through sharing her own story about coming to the sport at nine years of age.

Lee Allington, faculty leader head of PE at Laisterdyke Business and Enterprise College says: “Our aim is to change perceptions and show people how girls can contribute to this sport. Our pupils have been very enthusiastic, especially meeting the role model Saima who represented England. We’re very much looking forward to creating our own team and in time competing nationally in what is the Rugby League schools equivalent of the FA cup”.

Saima came to the sport at nine years of age and is now committed to raising the profile of women’s rugby league and encourage more women, including Asian women, to become involved in sport.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Chew PR .