YORK Acorn's thriving women's team have been boosted by the news three players are soon to receive representative honours, writes Peter Martini.

Loose-forward Beverley Langan is set to don the Great Britain jersey in May having been selected for the GB Under-21s squad, while prop Yvette Shepherd and centre Jenny Garwood will join her in next month's full Yorkshire squad.

The achievements are all the more notable due to the fact the team play in division two, the bottom division of the Women's Amateur Rugby League Association set-up, whereas most of the players for both these squads compete in the premier division.

Acorn women's coach Terry Parker said: "To get three players picked from a second division side is excellent, but they've deserved it.

"Furthermore, there are only four out of 25 in the GB U21 squad who play in the second division, the three others coming from the same team.

"It's quite an achievement to get selected."

Langan, who has already played for England, is still only 19 and in the next couple of years could be joined in the GB under-21s frame by team-mates Natasha Armitage and Nicola Parry, who also impressed in the recent GB trials.

Although they did not get the nod this time, Armitage has only just turned 18, while Parry is still only 16, so time is on their side.

As reported in the Evening Press, former York Wasps coach and Great Britain international Lee Crooks will take charge of the Yorkshire Women's team this year.

The opening game of their forthcoming series against the North West is at Post Office Road, Featherstone, on Sunday, March 24; the second match is at Cougar Park, Keighley, on April 14; and the third is on May 19 at a venue to be decided.

Crooks also coached Yorkshire men's team in the inaugural Origin clash against Lancashire last year.

Updated: 12:24 Thursday, March 07, 2002