Rugby Football League DiSE Learner Excels with a Try at International Debut Against France
Thursday 4th May 2023
Loughborough College graduate, Eboni Partington has become the latest in a long line of Rugby League DiSE (Diploma in Sporting Excellence) athletes to demonstrate the success of the performance pathway as she made her England senior debut in Saturday’s mid-season international victory over France at the Halliwell Jones Stadium in Warrington.
Eboni was selected into the very first cohort of players when the now current England Head Coach Stuart Barrow launched the DiSE programme in 2019.
Since graduating from Loughborough College in 2021, Eboni has gone from strength to strength at St Helens where she kicked off her club career, scoring two tries in the 2022 Challenge Cup final victory over Leeds Rhinos at Elland Road.
Eboni has also enjoyed international recognition, being selected to join the prestigious England Knights in 2022 for a World Cup warm up against the Cook Islands, before being brought into the England performance squad, debuting as heritage number 96 on the wing against France. Eboni produced a solid display over the 80 minutes, showcasing her talents with an impressive try in the first half, contributing to an astonishing 64-0 win.
Alongside fellow College alumna Keara Bennett, Eboni is the second player to excel through the programme to the top of the performance pathway.
DiSE Manager at Rugby Football League, Conor Meese, said, “We’re delighted to see another player excel through our Performance Pathway and achieve their senior heritage number. We knew Eboni had the potential back in 2019 and we are thrilled to see her fulfil that at senior national level.
“I have great confidence that she will experience a long and successful career in both Women’s Super League and an England Jersey. With a further six DiSE players appearing in the 2022 England Knights team that faced the Cook Islands, hopefully it is not too long before we see some more faces make the jump to the senior squad”.
