England Women’s and Thatto Heath Ladies player Holly Freestone says she cannot wait to take up her place in the England Women’s squad ahead of the 2013 Women’s Rugby League World Cup which begins next week.

Freestone, a member of the Thatto Heath squad that won the Women’s Challenge Cup last weekend, has been a part of the England squad since 2010 and she believes the national team could achieve big things in her first ever World Cup.

“I am really excited about playing in the World Cup, especially as the tournament is in England this year,” said Freestone. “There really is no better stage for the women’s game and it’s going to be massive for the sport.

“As a squad our goal is to win the World Cup. We are on home soil, we’re a good team and there is no reason why we can’t go out and win it.

“There are nine girls from Thatto Heath in the squad as well as girls from Bradford, who we played in the Cup final, and also from Featherstone and Normanton who are in the Women’s Challenge Shield final so all the girls in the team are playing at a good standard of rugby and are at the highest level possible which is fantastic for England.”

The competition will not be easy for England as they face heavyweights Australia and New Zealand, three-time Women’s World Cup winners, in the first two rounds of the tournament but Freestone is confident they can emerge victorious and raise the profile of the game whilst doing it.

“I’m excited to play against those teams,” she said. “New Zealand are the only champions in Women’s World Cup history and it’s good to play against them and I know we can match up to them.

“We have been working so hard for the past years and it’s all been building up to this World Cup. There is no better way to improve your game than to play against the best and beat the best.

“It’s great publicity for the sport to have such a big competition happening here. I know the Her RL organisation have really got behind us and some of the girls have been on the radio in recent weeks so it shows the awareness is increasing.

“It’s great to get other girls involved in the sport and maybe even involve people who have never really been interested in watching the sport before. It can only enhance our game and Rugby League in general.”

Tickets for the Festivals of World Cup Finals Day at Headingley Carnegie Stadium on Sunday July 14, when the Women’s, Students and Police World Cup Finals will be staged, cost from just £6 adult and £2 concessions and can be purchased by calling 0844 856 1113 or visiting https://www.eticketing.co.uk/rle/default.aspx