CARDINAL Newman's year nine girls' rugby league side are celebrating after qualifying from 80 teams for the final of a national rugby league competition.

More than 350 participants took part in the girls' rugby league festival organised by the Rugby Football League - an event that was staged at Hopwood Hall College in Rochdale.

The finalists of the Girls' Powergen Champion Schools Tournament were then decided and six teams in three age groups are now preparing for a dream trip to London on the weekend of the Powergen Challenge Cup Final.

Unbeaten Newman went through without conceding a try in any of their four games at Rochdale.

The Newman girls won the year eight final in Cardiff last year and will be hoping to make it a double when they play Kirklees school All Saints in August's showdown.

Newman's year seven side won two of their four games in Rochdale but missed out on a place in the national finals.

William Beamont Sports College's year eight girls' team won three of their four games but defeat to unbeaten Keighley school Holy Family cost them a trip to London.