Concluding events at The Lextan Gnoll in Neath on Saturday was a girls U14 nine-a-side match between two sides from South Wales Jets.
The side was set up earlier this year, with Wales international stars Ffion Jenkins and Amberley Ruck on the coaching team.
Jenkins, who was coaching from the sideline on Saturday, said: “It was amazing for our girls to play at The Gnoll. They’ve worked hard over the last few weeks and it was an honour to play on a big stage like this, following a Wales U18 match. It was also good that a few people stayed on to watch and give the girls support.”
Currently the only girls side in South Wales, the Jets are once again the ambitious forerunners of rugby league development in the area.
But that’s not the way we want it. We want other sides to play and help develop girls rugby league in Wales so we can have an U14s competition.
In the current absence of any more sides , we will be organising friendly matches against English outfits in the near future.
Ruck, said: “We had a few girls in the U12s last year and we were keen to get an U14 girls side together this year.
“As soon as girls get to year 8 in school, they can’t play alongside boys anymore. So at the Jets, girls between the ages of 12 and 14 have got something where they can come, they can train, they can continue learning the game of rugby league.
“Since having the first women’s test match against England in 2021, women’s rugby league is has grown in Wales.
“There are quite few community clubs in Wales and having a girls section puts the game of rugby league out there for all, and not only is this appealing to sponsors, it’s the future of female rugby league in Wales.”