NORTH Yorkshire teenage rugby star Emma Hardy has enjoyed a great coming-of-age season - including international honours.

Former York RUFC junior Hardy received a call-up to the England Under-20s squad after impressing at Loughborough Lightning in the inaugural Tyrell's Women's Premiership for Loughborough Lightning.

The 18-year-old helped her club side to a fifth-placed finish in the elite women's rugby competition, scoring 3 tries from centre.

She has played twice with the England squad, beating the British Army and narrowly losing to France, as well as featuring alongside seasoned internationals with the England women's development sevens team and earning a fourth-placed finish in a tournament in Dubai in December.

In April, Hardy represented Great Britain in the Rugby Europe Women's U18 Sevens championship in Vichy where, coupled with some good performances, Hardy scored four tries before the side lost out to hosts France.

Hardy has now been invited onto the GB Sports Aid programme which assists elite young British sportspeople with finance and advice on how to manage their sporting career.

With this help, Hardy hopes to push on at Loughborough when she starts university next year and will look to retain her place in the premiership and international level of rugby.