MORE than 400 years of rugby tradition came to an abrupt end at the weekend and it's all down to a 12-year-old Prestwich girl!

Young Sarah Brockway plays tight head prop for Sedgley Park's Under-11 team and when she ran out against St Mary's Hall Preparatory School, Lancashire, she became the first ever female to tread the school's hallowed turf.

St Mary's Hall, a feeder school for Stonyhurst College, Whalley, is a true rugby stronghold where boy boarders play the game three times a week during the season.

It boasts England scrum-half Kieran Bracken and England international Will Greenwood as old boys, but that counted for nothing as far as Sarah was concerned who did her bit for female emancipation with a sterling performance.

After the Park View Primary School pupil's ground-breaking appearance the school's headmaster is now having to consider applications from girl pupils to play rugby at the school, which was founded in 1593 and has been co-educational for five years.

"We really didn't realise the significance of her playing until after the match," said Sarah's mum, Joanne, who has another rugby-playing daughter, Lisa Jane, in the club's Under-9s team.

"I think the head was really taken aback when he heard a girl would be in the team and he made sure that his boys didn't find out until after the game.

"She wears a skull cap in her position as a tight head prop and it's hard to tell she's a girl until she takes it off."

Unfortunately for Sarah (pictured) and teammates the strength and individual ability of the St Mary's Hall team were too much for Sedgley who suffered a 52-0 defeat.

But it wasn't allowed to spoil the weekend's tour for the Under-11s who travelled to the Lake District staying at the YWCA retreat at Kendal. Sarah rips down the

barriers

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