GALLERY: There’s no stopping the Bury Foxes at the moment.

It’s been a rollercoaster ride for the girls ever since they got together five years ago, and they’re now making the step up to league rugby.

To fulfill the entry criteria for next season, they had to play eight 12-a-side friendlies this term and have a squad of 22 fully paid-up members.

However, they are always looking for more and it does not matter if you are a newcomer to the game, as number 12 Laura Hudson was when she joined last May.

“It’s been really awesome,” said Laura, who works as a book-keeper.

“I always tended to a lot of mountain and adventure-type sports so it was a bit of a shock when I began playing rugby, but it is amazing to be part of this team.”

The girls, who face Harwich on Sunday, have been making headlines on and off the pitch and column inches, along with an appearance on BT Sport’s Rugby Tonight programme, have boosted their profile even more.

“The men’s team are obviously well known but, for us, the appearance on TV was a big thing as it made people sit up and take notice,” explains Laura.

“There has also been the coverage in the local press, while we have also picked up a lot of interest as a result of our efforts on social media.

She added: “On the pitch, our coach (Sara Clarke) said the improvement in the team between the start of the season and now has been huge and the long-term goal would be to try and do somthing similar to what the Woodbridge Amazons have done.

“We are doing really well and before Sunday, we were undefeated in our previous six games.

“To be in a league is fantastic and we want to get our first season under our belts, bringing in some new players, and then take it from there.”

Training is held at The Haberden on Monday evenings between 7pm and 8.30pm, while an additional fitness session takes place on Wednesday between 7-8pm.

For more information, follow the team on twitter: @bury_foxes and facebook: Bury Foxes Ladies Rugby Team

Pictures courtesy of Shawn Pearce

shawnpearcephotography.co.uk