TYLDESLEY Ladies Water Polo team have been invited to the British Championships Festival of Water Polo at Cheltenham Lido on the weekend 3/4 July.

They will be competing against the top Ladies sides in the country, City of Manchester, City of Sheffield, Coventry, City of Liverpool and Hucknall.

Tyldesley have drawn against Liverpool and Coventry in the group stage.

This will be a demanding tournament and good preparation for when the team compete for the first time in Division 1 of the British Water Polo League in September.

Tyldesley have some experienced players in the ranks and Honor Grimes was a gold medalist at the Commonwealth games for England in 2014.

She was crowned Water Polo Performance Athlete of the Year at the ASA Aquatics Awards 2015.

She played for GB under 20s at FINA World Women’s Championship in 2015. Honor has played professionally for La Latina in the Spanish Water Polo domestic league.

Meanwhile Jordan Parsons played for England Under 17’s in EU Nations cup in Denmark in 2016, Annie Holt played for England Under 17’s in the Czech Republic in 2019 and Grace Morley played for the GB under 20’s squad.

Grace Rowland represented GB under 17’s squad in the 2015 Baku European games in Azerbajan.

The up and coming players are Kelsy Evans, who is part of the England Under 20s squad, and Eva Howarth, Holly Toone and Isobelle Robb are part of the GB under 17s squad hopeful heading to the U17 European Championship in Croatia in the summer.

Head coach Lee Toone said: "It’s great to see waterpolo kick off again with such a great event and looking forward to Tyldesley's first British Champs festival challenging ourselves to take on the best teams in the country."

Team captain Grace Morley added: "The girls and I are really looking forward to representing Tyldesley at the British Championship Festival of Water Polo.

"We recognise that there has been a lot of hard work and commitment to see the Club get to this level and we are thankful to everyone who has supported us through our journey.

"Since the team’s inception in 2010 we are proud to have climbed the divisions and now have the opportunity to compete here.

"It is a proud moment for the team, our club and the community of Tyldesley."

The team: Annie Holt, Holly Toone, Eva Howarth , Bethan Grimes, Grace Rowland, Izzy Robb, Kelsy Evans, Holly McHugh, Jess Robb, Honor Grimes, Jordan Parsons, Grace Morley, Kate Rowland.

Head Coach: Lee Toone, Assistant Coach: Nicola Holt, Team Manager: Paul Costello.

Tyldesley swimming and water polo club was formed in 1876, the Ladies Water Polo National League team were formed in 2010 and train at The Pelican Centre, Tyldesley.