CASTLEFORD is a name synonymous with rugby league and two girls teams from the town will be playing at Wembley this summer as curtain raiser to the Challenge Cup final.

But it could so easily have been girls from Settle who were playing in front of a capacity crowd at the new stadium.

As champions of North Yorkshire, Settle Middle School qualified for the national finals at Hopwood Hall College, Rochdale.

The under-12 girls beat Wade Deakon School, from Widnes, 3-1 and then came up against the favourites, Castleford. It was a brilliant and close match, with Castleford equalising in the last minute to make it a 1-1 draw. Two 4-0 victories, firstly against St Johns from Durham and then St John Fisher from Wigan meant that both Settle and Castleford were unbeaten. Alas, the place at Wembley went on try difference and Castleford, who scored two more tries than the Settle girls, won the spot.

The under-13 girls team first beat Welsh champions, Cyfatha, 2-0.

Their second match was against last year's national winners, Castleford. Settle camped near the Castleford try line for most of the game but could not score and conceded a break away try in the closing minutes to lose 1-0. A 6-0 win over St Johns from Durham and 4-1 win over Wade Deacon from Widnes were not enough to see them to Wembley.

But it has been a remarkable achievement by the Settle girls, who only started playing rugby league last year. With ten teams qualified for the National Finals, they can now say they are in the best three teams from all of the UK.