TWO Hexham sisters are flying the flag for their country.

Tynedale Rugby Club flanker Lucy Thorpe is following in the footsteps of big sister Holly by being selected for this season’s England Under 18 Women’s Squad.

Pre-Christmas, a wider U18s group took part in regional camps to provide development opportunities before heading towards international games.

In their final camp of 2021, the U18s played a North v South match to help with final selections into this U18s squad.

"I was very surprised," said Lucy. "I really wasn't expecting it."

17-year-old Lucy is a long time member of Tynedale Youth Section, first playing for their Under 8s boys team. She currently plays for Tynedale Panthers as well as being a member of the Darlington Mowden Park centre of excellence.

Lucy, a Year 13 pupil at Hexham's Queen Elizabeth High School, has also represented the Northumberland County U15 and U18 teams. The final 34 player England squad was selected following several regional camps which included a North v South ‘trial’ match.

The squad will now meet at training camps in January and March in preparation for matches in February and April, including a game against Scotland next month.

Holly (20) also learned and played rugby at Tynedale before moving to Loughborough University and now Darlington Mowden Park Sharks. Holly also represented England Under 18’s for around three years and has been selected for this season’s England Under 20 squad.

Since she was selected in September, Holly has played against South Africa and New Zealand, with games against Scotland and France soon coming up.

Holly, who started playing when she was nine, said she has always enjoyed the sport.

"I absolutely love it to bits," she said. "It's like my entire life."

Holly added: "It's really nice to be able to share that with Lucy. It's also nice because we are completely opposite positions so you can't compare it.

"There's no competition."

Looking to the future, Holly said she would love to play for the England Women Sevens. "That would be amazing," she said. "That's where I want to end up."