YORK wonder-girl Nicola Parry's rapid rise to rugby league stardom has hit a new high with selection to the full women's Great Britain squad, writes Peter Martini.

As reported by the Evening Press, the 17-year-old Parry was picked for the England Under-21 squad - effectively the Great Britain U21s - last autumn after impressing for York Acorn Ladies.

And after just a handful of training sessions and two matches for that team, she has now been elevated to the full GB squad, and is hoping to retain her place for the upcoming tour to New Zealand later this year.

The talented three-quarter played for the U21s last week when they hammered England Students 70-0. And, although she had to come off in the second half with a shoulder injury, she impressed enough to get the call-up.

She meets up with the full GB squad for a training session on April 5, before returning the U21s a day later when they take on Yorkshire.

"At the moment I can still play for the Under-21s but hopefully I will transfer to the full squad permanently," said Parry, a student at York Technical College.

"Great Britain have their tour to New Zealand in August and it would be brilliant if I was picked for that."

Parry, who joined Acorn aged 15, only began to play competitively a year later, and caught the selectors' eye in national trials just 12 months later.

The U21s - who also go on tour to France later this year - are coached by Lisa MacIntosh, who is captain of the full GB team, and it was on her advice that Parry was called up. "It was fantastic. I didn't expect it at all," she added.

Updated: 11:49 Saturday, March 29, 2003