Shooting star Molly nets place on a top team

A RISING young RGS netball star has won a place on a top regional team, despite being three years younger than many of the players.

At only 14 years old, Molly McDonnell has been selected for the Leeds Rhinos U17s netball performance league squad for the new season.

It’s the latest in a series of successes for the teenager from Markington, who has represented her county since she was in Year 7 and aims to play for England one day.

She will now be stepping up her training to include two two-and-a-half hour sessions at Huddersfield University in addition to a third one-and-a-half hour session beyond Bradford in addition to matches, usually in Bury or Manchester.

During the summer, Molly was the youngest team member selected for the Leeds Rhinos squad which competed in the National Academies U15 Tournament in Walsall.

She was first selected for the elite talent pathway programme to represent North Yorkshire at inter-county tournaments at the age of 13: “I was put forward for my Leeds Rhinos trial by North Yorkshire, as the next step on the England netball pathway.”

More recently, following two trials in January with nearly 100 girls all vying for one of the 22 places place on the performance development programme, she got through despite being a year below the age level.

“I was so pleased to get through as I was a year young and it was really tough competition,” she says.

After she made it to the U15 National Academies Tournament long squad of 18 players, training intensified to include a tournament at the Olympic Park in London.

“It was an amazing experience. I never expected to make the final squad so when it was announced I was ecstatic and couldn't wait to represent Rhinos,” she says.

She hopes to continue to progress on the England netball pathway and representing the Leeds Rhinos franchise as well as her club, Leeds Athletic.

In the next few years, she'd love to play in the national premier league at U17 and U19 level and then progress to the Super League, she says.

Molly started playing netball at eight years old, playing with Ripon Rockets until she was 13.

She moved to Leeds Athletic netball club and went on to captain North Yorkshire U13s, in addition to playing for the U15s.

She also enjoys representing her school in football and swimming in winter and rounders, cricket, and athletics in summer.