VALE of Lune's female rugby players are on a high after clinching promotion to the National League by winning a series of play-off games against Plymouth, Loughborough and Saracens.

And things could get even better before the season ends for the ever-improving women players.

For this Sunday (May 16) they will be at home against Folkestone in the semi final of the National Shield knock-out competition.

The women will be hoping to go one better than Vale of Lune's men, who fell at the final hurdle in their bid to win the John Burgess Lancashire Cup final when they were beaten 51-12 by Sedgley Park on Mayday Bank Holiday Monday.

Vale were always going to be underdogs against the National League Two champions and so it turned out in an action-packed game at Preston Grasshoppers' Lightfoot Green ground.

James Moore put the Lancaster men ahead with a penalty in the opening minute and, despite being pegged back, they took the lead again on half an hour with an Ian Brookes try.

But Sedgley Park turned up the heat, brought on their big guns from the bench, and powered away for a convincing victory despite two more Vale touch-downs from Andy Miller, with extras added by Moore.