On Sunday, 12 September, West Leeds Eagles ladies travelled over to the east coast to play the newly formed Scarborough Pirates Ladies as their first ever opponents. The game was streamed live by the Rugby League Daily. It was an exciting game despite the score-line suggesting otherwise, and the Pirates ladies earned a lot of respect from the everyone, spectators and players alike, in not allowing their heads to go down when better teams would have completely capitulated come the interval. Both teams enjoyed a fantastic day and we look forward to cementing our new friendship in the future.

So many incidents and highlights from a game included which included some well-worked tries, but here are a few. Before the game the players stood in silence in respect of a Scarborough Pirates old boy who has recently passed away.

The Eagles took the lead with a well worked try after just eight minutes, with a second being added three minutes later. Ellena Powell scored a great individual break-a-way try after 24 mins, to take the score to 26-0, and Tiffany Turner marked a return to action after being out injured when, on the 39 minute mark, took a pass from Emma Clixby on the half way line and ran through to score, Sarah Barford slotting the conversion. Tullyanne Flint increased the score to 68-4 when she broke away to go over between the posts. Beatriz Furtado also got onto the score sheet when she went over between the posts to take the score to 58-0. The game was called with around five minutes left when a Pirates player went down injured near her own goal line. Due to the injury looking serious, it was decided to call full time. We wish the player in question a speedy recovery.

The tries were shared out across the team with ten out of eighteen players crossing the line. Four tries for Ellena Powell, three for Amelia Alexander, and a try each for Sarah-Louise Barford, Abbie Benn, Emily Evans, Tullyanne Flint, Beatriz Furtado, Brogan Townsley-Parker, Tiffany Turner, and Jenny Young, Sarah Barford kicked six conversions, with Lucy Butterfield kicking three. The half time score was 42-0 to the Eagles, with the visitors taking the final score to 78-4.

Top tacklers: 1st Amelia Alexander, 2nd Tullyanne Flint, 3rd Beatriz Furtado. Top hit ups: 1st Ellena Powell, with Beatriz in joint second.

Coach Mick Powell later wrote: “What a day,warmed up very well, players playing in different positions, and the communication was fantastic today, everything a coach could ask for was delivered by a cracking set of lasses.

This is an extract posted by the Pirates:
”We made it! We’ve made history today! Despite the score line. These ladies put their all into the game. West Leeds played a great game of rugby. All our ladies should be super proud of themselves, they played fantastic. You wouldn’t think we have only been going 5 months!

Emily crossing the line for the pirates in the second half put us on the score board. Georgia got women of the match for her great performance. Thanks to West Leeds Eagles for coming across and we look forward to coming to you in the future.

Squads were as follows:
Scarborough Pirates: Laura Anderson; Katrina Briggs, Dani Vasey, Lauren Harrison, Eva Topham, Meg Parker, Kitti Rundell, Jessie Brookman, Emily Willby, Chantelle Smith, Autumn Towse (Capt), Nichola Paddock, Olivia Burlinson, Janet Turnbull, Georgia Newton and Emma Warkup.

West Leeds: Amelia Alexander; Sarah-Louise Barford, Abbie Benn, Stephanie Smith, Lucy Butterfield, Tiffany Turner, Emma Clixby, Emily Evans, Tullyanne Flint, Beatriz Furtado, Holly 'Amy' James, Leah McFarlane, Kayleigh Moore, Ellena Powell, Brogan Townsley-Parker (Capt), Caitlin Waterhouse, Georgia Waterhouse, Jenny Young.

Photos courtesy of Donna Tobitt. Information gathered from various sources, with thanks to Donna Tobitt, Mick Powell, and to the Scarborough Pirates Ladies.