YORK Acorn prodigy Nicola Parry has been selected for the Great Britain Ladies' Under-21s Rugby League squad - just two months after turning 17.

The teenager, who plays on the wing or at centre, was selected after impressing at national trials, for which she was put forward by Acorn Ladies' coach Terry Parker.

The squad of 25 - who will be allowed to continue playing for their clubs but not for any other representative team - are likely to warm up for their proposed tour to France next year with matches against county and student sides.

Parry said: "I was quite surprised to get the call-up. The trials consisted of a fitness test in the morning and then a game in the afternoon and it went well for me."

This season will be Parry's third with the club, after she joined the Blue and Golds aged 15. However, conforming with the rules of open age rugby, she has only played competitive matches since turning 16, so her speedy rise to the national set-up is all the more startling.

"I started after a friend suggested going down to the club and I enjoyed it and took it from there," she added.

Parry, a former Oaklands School pupil is now studying for a national diploma in public services at York Technical College on Tadcaster Road, a course which includes a weekly sports lesson.

Team captain and secretary Gill Blackburn said: "She's very athletic and brave. We could put her anywhere in the team, including in the forwards, and she'd be willing to take on the opposition.

"She's not frightened of anything and is very brave for her age. The coach put her forward for the GB training day and she passed with flying colours."

Acorn Ladies, meanwhile, began their BARLA Women's League first division campaign with a spirited 38-12 home defeat by likely promotion contenders Rochdale Hillside Hawks last Saturday.

Hawks had been relegated from the premier division last season, while Acorn, whose second game is away to Pendle Atom this weekend, had been moved up from the now defunct second division.

Parry will miss the Pendle trip because of ankle ligament damage but should be back next week.

Updated: 08:31 Thursday, October 03, 2002