A GIRLS football team have joined a South Wales league due to their being no provision in Herefordshire for their age group.

Ross Juniors Under-15s will become the first team in the history of the club to compete in the South Wales Women's & Girls League (SWWGL) next season.

With no under-15 league in Herefordshire, or the surrounding counties, to keep the team together the club sought permission from the Herefordshire FA, the Football Association in London, and the South Wales Football Association to play over the border.

The SWWGL clubs and committee welcomed Ross Juniors at last month’s AGM and now the team is set to play in Wales from September.

Last season the girls played 11v11 football for the first time, finishing third in the Gloucestershire League.

The girls recently sampled 11v11 Welsh football by travelling to last season’s Welsh Division 2 Champions Coed Eva Athletic, in Cwmbran, and emerged 4-1 winners in a fun and competitive match.

Most of the team continue to compete against girls who are a year older, making enjoyment and improvement the key aspects of the football experience. They continue to be the only Herefordshire-based girls team in the entire county, at their age group, who play the 11v11 format of the game.

The main benefit of keeping the girls together this season is that they are on course to become the first full team of Ross Juniors girls who have played together right through from under-eights to women’s football.

In two years, they will eligible to play women’s football, and with this team leading the way, and other strong age female groups to follow, Ross Juniors is very excited by the prospects of its women’s section.