A MUM who started a girls’ team so her daughter somewhere to play rugby has accepted an offer to become the Cheshire RFU’s next chairman.

Paula Bradbury, who will take over from Colin Free in 2019 after serving as his understudy for the next 12 months, is the first woman to take on the role.

“She’s a perfect fit,” said John Downham, secretary for the county’s governing body.

“Paula’s drive, commitment and passion for the sport – which she has demonstrated with her work promoting and creating opportunities for women and girls to play – is exactly what we need to move forward in the next few years.

“The timing is right both for us, and for her, to do that now.”

Bradbury, who lives in Moulton, is a member at Winnington Park and acts as a liaison between the club and Cheshire RFU.

She still sits on the committee at Burrows Hill, where she has set up women’s and girls’ teams.

More recently, she has led the Cheshire RFU’s women and girls’ forum as well as developing an improved structure for the county’s senior, under 18s and under 15s representative teams.

“We admire Paula’s selflessness – she doesn’t do anything for personal gain,” added Downham, himself a former administrator at Park.

“She listens, and then gets on with doing the job from start to finish.

“There is plenty she’ll pick up from shadowing Colin and observing what the chairman’s role entails, but she’s familiar with much of it already.”

Bradbury’s appointment was approved during a meeting of members at Chester the week before last.