A CHEERLEADING club is jumping for joy after having members selected to represent the UK in a tournament in Japan.

Five girls from Clarets Cheerleading have been selected to compete for the junior team at the IFC World Cheerleading Championships later this year.

Head coach Sophie Boyle has also been asked to join the coaching staff for the UK team.

Miss Boyle, 22, said: “I am honoured and trilled to be asked to help coach the teams.

“Myself, the whole club and the girls family are all thrilled to bits. We are so proud.

“For them to be able to compete in Japan and for there country is like a dream come true.”

Three 12-year-olds Harley Gill, Hannah Skyner and Molly Townsend have been selected alongside Morgan Allen, 13, and Beth Midgley,14.

The cost of the trip is to be £1,000 each so the girls will be looking to collect sponsorships by organising a variety of different events.

They earned the opportunity to compete after the UK Cheerleading Association asked youngsters to apply for Team UK by submitting skill videos to the organisation.

A total of 15 girls from the Clarets Cheerleading applied for the team and all of them made it through to the final training day in Macclesfield.

From there the five girls based at St Peter’s Leisure Centre were told that they were successful.

Miss Boyle said: “Its such an amazing feeling knowing that us, a cheerleading club from Burnley, are training our boys are girls to a high enough standard and are being given these amazing opportunities.

“It really shows how much cheerleading is growing as a sport.

“The girls are great role models for our other athletes at the club and anyone else wanting to take up the sport.”

The competition will be taking place in Takasaki in November and more than 30 countries are expected to participate.

The girls will be attending training days in Macclesfield and Manchester to prepare.