YORK City Knights will be tackling girls' rugby league this season thanks to a new development scheme from National League sponsor LHF Healthplan.

LHF has teamed up with the Rugby Football League and National League clubs to attract teenage girls into the sport this season as part of an 18-month campaign to raise the profile of female rugby league and increase participation.

LHF and Sportsmatch will pump more than £100,000 into the grassroots of the sport in fresh plans to introduce thousands of girls to the sport.

This investment will help the Knights' development teams to work specifically with girls in the area to teach them the basics of the game.

This year's Sportsmatch scheme follows in the footsteps of LHF Healthplan's successful 2005 campaign, which helped more than 30,000 primary school children across the country play rugby league for the first time.

Jane Fenwick, director of marketing at LHF Healthplan, said: "LHF Healthplan is delighted to be promoting rugby league to girls with our 2006 Sportsmatch schools coaching scheme and, with it, tackling an important area of development for the sport.

"We are hoping to attract more girls than ever into the sport in a hope they will continue to participate and develop the women's game in this country.

"This initiative again demonstrates LHF Healthplan's continued support for rugby league at all levels and our commitment to the communities of the National League."

Julia Lee, national community development manager at the RFL, said: "LHF Healthplan's investment into grassroots rugby league has enabled us to establish the game in new and exciting areas.

"The 2006 scheme will be key in raising the profile of female rugby league and generating new higher numbers of participation."

STAYING on this theme, the largest rugby league festival for girls ever staged by the RFL took place in Manchester on Wednesday.

The Powergen Champion Schools Festival for Girls saw a total of 30 teams from throughout England, Wales and Scotland take part in three different age groups.

The pool winners qualified for the Powergen Champion Schools Finals day which is staged in London on the same weekend as the 2006 Powergen Challenge Cup final.

North Yorkshire were represented by South Craven School near Skipton.