All-girl soccer team finishes league undefeated and secures cup double, all against boys' teams
An all-girl soccer team has completed the Argus League undefeated after displaying real girl power and winning the season with a cup double.
What's more? They played the league in its entirety only against all-boy teams, scoring 75 goals across the season and not losing a single match.
The Plymouth-based, nine-a-side SB Frankfort Under-12 Girls team beat Morley Rangers Juniors on Sunday to win the Argus Cup in Torpoint, Cornwall, CNN reports.
The formidable bevy of footballers had already previously topped the Devon Junior and Mini League after winning 14 out of 18 games against both girls' and boys' teams. The SB Frankfort Under-12s were reportedly new entrants to the league as they had no other all-girls teams to play in their area.
Speaking to CNN Sport, head coach James Brown Tunnell said, "I was elated for the girls, four years we have been playing boys for the sole purpose of improving and learning. So to win the double this year has been incredible."
"At the start of the season we didn't want to set targets, we knew we had a strong, talented group of girls that were ready to compete and work their hardest," Tunnell continued. "As the season went on it was clear we had a chance to win the league and the cup. However, the girls needed to stay grounded and just focus on playing their game. After we just said to the girls, they have been fantastic all season long. The pressure has grown throughout the season and they have dealt with it superbly, we couldn't be more proud of them."
Assistant coach John Preston upheld the girls' landmark achievement. "To be unbeaten in the league and the cup for a whole season is exceptional, but they are an exceptional bunch of girls and we are lucky to coach them," he said. "When we went into a competitive boys' league a lot of people said they couldn't do it, but these girls have proved they can."
The SB Frankfort girls team, which was formed four years ago, is now set to play in an 11-a-side boys' league next season.
According to Tunnel, this is the first time a girls grassroots football team has secured a cup double and league victory while competing against all-boy teams. However, this is yet to be verified. The Football Association handbook states that "players in a match must be of the same gender, but this doesn't apply for matches in a playing season in the age groups of Under 7 to Under 18 inclusive."
That said, the FA is yet to respond to a request for confirmation and comment.