IF York Valkyrie prop Jas Bell does get to make her England debut in Las Vegas on Sunday, she’s not planning on having too much time to celebrate the occasion.
The 26-year-old is one of five York players to make Stuart Barrow’s final 20-player squad for the match against Australia.
Georgie Dagger, Eboni Partington, Tamzin Renouf and Liv Wood are also making the trip to Nevada, but Bell also has one eye on a quick return to North Yorkshire.
“We have still been training with York three times a week and then with England at a weekend so it’s been pretty intense for the last couple of months,” said Bell.
“It is crazy that I’ve made the squad and I’m going to Vegas, but when I get back rather than have a couple of days off I’d rather get stuck straight back in with York and refocus for the season ahead with them.
“We did have a lot of disruption last year, but if anything that just brought us closer together as a group. I know we went on to win the Grand Final, but we have other aims this season and we want to do even better.
“Things are looking really good at the minute. We have signed a few new players that have slotted straight in and are looking really good in training so I am excited to see how we look on gameday.
“A big thing for us is that we have missed out on a place at Wembley for the last couple of years. We all want to play there, so that will be a real focus for us to start with.
“But we don’t just want to play at Wembley, we want to win the Challenge Cup there.”
Meanwhile, York have further strengthened their squad with the signings of Tara Moxon, Lisa Parker, Lauren Exley and Agnes Wood.
Moxon has joined from Leeds Rhinos, while Parker and Wood, who both featured for the club last season while on dual-registration from Sheffield Eagles, have made those moves permanent.
Exley also tasted Super League action last season and makes the step up from the Under 19s.
