York Acorn Ladies rugby league star Michelle Handley is celebrating selection for Great Britain Ladies at the age of 32.

Happy Handley: Michelle Handley in training before joining the Great Britain Ladies rugby league squad. Picture: Frank Dwyer

The prop forward was amazed to receive her first ever call-up after a referee's recommendation prompted a scouting mission from the GB selectors.

They watched Michelle score a try and receive the coaches' player of the match award in York's 14-14 draw at home to Huddersfield last week and a few days later a letter arrived at her Acomb home inviting her to a training session at Dewsbury.

"When I heard I was jumping up and down, screaming and phoning everybody. I'm 32, I thought my days had gone," enthused an astounded Michelle whose talent for rugby league is hardly surprising - she is the cousin of Huntington-based Paddy Handley, currently starring at scrum half for Northern Ford Premiership giants Featherstone Rovers.

The call-up was all the more surprising as it didn't come from the normal route, as Michelle explained: "Normally you have to fill in a nomination form then you get looked at. But I didn't fill one in. A referee from Stanningley wrote on the team sheet that someone should come and have a look at me.

"Jackie Sheldon, who runs the Great Britain team, had a word with me and asked me if I'd be interested. Then someone watched me play last week against Huddersfield."

Michelle was being given more details this week about forthcoming matches, but her first test will be an all-day training session in Dewsbury on April 17. Then in May she will undergo a personal assessment in stamina, body fitness and will see a sports psychologist before being given a personal fitness programme to follow at home.

She took up the game six years ago after hearing about the York Ladies team, then based at Oaklands, by word of mouth.

"It was something I always wanted to do so when I found out there was a team training at Oaklands I went down and watched. They asked me if I wanted to play so the next week I joined in and I was hooked," said Michelle, who had just given birth to her youngest son Jordan when she first played.

She has since gone on to make a big impact with the side and is also the assistant coach to Acorn Under-13s boys team.

Her enthusiasm for the game has rubbed off on her three sons and younger sister who all play for Acorn. Jordan Handley, aged seven, plays for the Under-8s; Joe Burns, 11, for the Under-12s and Davey Burns, 12, for the Under-13s.

Her sister Rachael is a member of the successful Acorn Under-11s team but could find herself unable to play rugby league next year. She will no longer be permitted to play mixed rugby and cannot join Acorn Ladies until she is 15 which could prompt the creation of an Acorn girls' team. In the meantime she is currently taking a rugby league refereeing course to keep her involved in the sport.

Michelle follows in the footsteps of former York Ladies ace Julie Cronin who was in the Great Britain squad until retiring from the game. She now coaches under-8s at New Earswick All Blacks.

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