RUGBY may still be considered a man's world in many circles, but in Newport primary schools an 11-year-old girl is becoming a rising star in the game.

Alexia Evans is breaking boundaries in Gwent schools' rugby almost as quickly as she breaks through opposition defences.

And just two years after taking up the sport the Milton Junior School pupil has established herself as one the city's most exciting sports talents. Alexia, who lives in Beechwood, is captain of both the Newport and District Boys under 11s team and her school team and has won a Gwent District cap.

Her mother Joanne, said: "She has always been a bit of a tom boy, wanting to play rugby. When she went into year four her teacher was the rugby coach and she nagged him saying she really wanted to play. I was not too happy about it and didn't want her to play. I just thought once she had a bump she would stop playing.

"Now every time she gets a bump it makes her more proud and more determined to play.

"As you can imagine we are extremely proud of her achievements in this game and even though she has had her critics, believe me she has had a few, we are delighted to say that she proved them wrong."

This year Alexia, who plays for Caldicot Under 11s, became the first girl ever to be selected for the East Wales squad.

Joanne said: "After the trials we were told that probably her downfall would be the fact that she is a girl because no other girl had ever got that far it was unlikely that she would."

Joanne said she wanted to thank the teachers and coaches who have encouraged and supported Alexia.