Category: Uncategorised

• Name:

Jason Meikle

• Job title:

Principal Architect

• Where are you from?

 Scotland! A sleepy town called Erskine.

• When are you at your happiest?

I am at my happiest spending time with my family, I have 2 kids under two and the chaos dial is always set to maximum.

• What are you passionate about? E.g., charity work, extracurricular, spending time with family

My passion is music, playing or listening. If you pass me in the corridor, I swear I’m not talking to myself or making weird noises. I am probably singing some catchy hook that’s burned into my brain for the day.

• How do you like to wind down from your day?

I try to play football once or twice a week, and if I’m not playing it, I’m probably watching it. Other than that, I’m probably reading something nerdy on my phone or playing Xbox.      

• What’s your go-to productivity trick?

 I am a problem solver and won’t stop until it’s fixed! That’s where I find using a mind map helpful, drawing out all the elements of the project you’re trying to achieve, taking each task and breaking it down from being complicated to more manageable tasks. I find it really helps with complex projects and prioritsing challenges.

• What led you to this career? 

I’ve always been around computers since a super young age, not sure what else I would do!

• When did you join Fibrus?

I’ve been with Fibrus from the very beginning and I can’t believe how many years its been, from installing the first fibre switch into Dundrum, to lighting the 200^th cabinet in the network.

I’ve never had as many opportunities in previous careers as I’ve had with Fibrus, from technology to planning, logistics and problem solving, and more recently, I’ve had the opportunity to move into the software development team. It’s never a dull day.

Key findings from the report include:

• £431 million in total economic value generated since 2020
  • £74 million from company operations including turnover, wages, and job creation
  • £271 million through supply chain investment
  • £86 million from indirect spending by Fibrus employees across the local economy
• 435 people employed by Fibrus
• £50.6 million in potential annual productivity gains per year from full fibre broadband access
• Over £411K charitable contributions across Northern Ireland

The report, commissioned by Fibrus and produced by leading economists at Grant Thornton, is published as the company approaches the final stages of its transformative Project Stratum rollout. The report evaluates the substantial economic and social impact of Fibrus’ operations across Northern Ireland – bridging the digital divide and levelling up opportunities for rural communities.

To date, Fibrus has connected over 410,000 homes and businesses in Northern Ireland and Northern England through its rapid and ambitious network expansion. This report is on the back of a record-breaking year for the company, with a 143% surge in customers, a 50% rise in annual revenue, and recognition by Deloitte as Northern Ireland’s fastest-growing technology company, and the second fastest across the island of Ireland in 2024.

Employing 435 people, Fibrus has generated £431 million in total expenditure since its inception. £74 million of that comes directly from company operations, which includes turnover, wages, and job creation. An additional £271 million has been contributed through Fibrus’ supply chain spend, with a further £86 million driven by the indirect local spending of its employees – injecting money back into regional economies through everyday purchases at supermarkets, cafés, petrol stations, restaurants, and retail outlets.

Project Stratum was awarded to Fibrus in 2020 and was funded by the UK Government, Department for Economy and Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs. With the project now just months away from completion, connectivity has been delivered to almost 80K premises to date. The report reveals that once completed the project there will be potential productivity gains of £50.6m per annum driven by the rollout of Full Fibre broadband.

Northern Ireland now boasts 94% connectivity, outpacing other UK nations and regions. This makes the region has become a trailblazer in digital connectivity, helping to futureproof its workforce by enabling access to remote and hybrid job opportunities across the UK and beyond.

Beyond economic gains, the Grant Thornton report also highlights the strong social impact of Fibrus’ community initiatives. Since 2020, Fibrus has donated more than £411,000 to charitable causes and grassroots programmes, supporting local organisations and enhancing community resilience through its dedicated funding programmes.

Dominic Kearns, CEO and founder of Fibrus said:

“When we founded Fibrus five years ago, our sole purpose was to bring communities, homes and businesses a broadband service fit for everyday demands.

Thanks to Project Stratum, we have successfully delivered Full Fibre connectivity to almost 80,000 properties that had been left in the digital dark by the incumbent. This June, we will complete Project Stratum, the largest telecoms infrastructure project ever seen here, on time and within budget, changing the lives of those in rural communities and offering them the same opportunities as their urban counterparts.

This economic and social impact report lays out the real-world difference Project Stratum and Fibrus has made to Northern Ireland. It shows in no small terms that we aren’t just about faster internet speeds – we’re serious about driving economic growth, fostering connected communities and creating competition to ensure households get value for money and better customer service.”

Andrew Webb, Chief Economist at Grant Thornton said:

“The economic impact report highlights the significant contributions Fibrus has made to the Northern Ireland economy since it was founded. The £431 million generated is a testament to the company’s commitment to driving economic growth. This, plus the £50 million in productivity gains that Fibrus broadband enables, proves that the company has been a major contributor to improving Northern Ireland’s competitiveness and has strengthened the pulling power of our regional towns, bringing significant benefits to rural communities.”

Project Gigabit is the government-funded programme to enable hard-to-reach communities to access fast, reliable gigabit-capable broadband. As part of a £108 million connectivity boost, Fibrus is rolling out bringing next generation broadband services to homes and businesses that might have otherwise missed out on gigabit upgrades across Cumbria.

Fibrus was awarded the contract in November 2022, which initially covered 32,000 homes and businesses in Cumbria. Today we are proud to announce that it has achieved a major milestone in its Project Gigabit contract, successfully delivering reliable connectivity to almost 12,500 homes and businesses in Cumbria – on time and within budget.

This milestone comes after the announcement that Fibrus’ UK Government contract has been extended, allowing Fibrus to deliver Full Fibre broadband to an additional 21,000 previously underserved premises in Cumbria. Once completed, alongside other commercial expansion plans, 99% of homes and businesses in Cumbria will have access to next-generation broadband.

Among those benefiting from wider access to lightning-fast Full Fibre broadband is Cumbrian dairy farmer Andrew Williamson from High Hesket who says his connection has been a game changer.

“It has made a huge difference,” said Andrew, who farms 240 pedigree Holsteins at Inglewood House at Calthwaite near Penrith.

“The farm is right on the end of the line and continually had problems with phone lines and internet speed. We’ve gone from 2mb at the best, up to 500mb overnight. The reliability has made a huge difference to the farm, it has made everything more efficient.”

He added: “Farming has changed massively in the last 20 or 30 years, and everything we do is data driven. The problem is, as things get more sophisticated you need more speed. All the milk recording and information we need on the pedigree of the cows is web based, so having good internet and website access is really important.”

Jenny Lennon, Managing Director of Hyperfast Networks, said: “The fibre rollout in Cumbria has been one of the most challenging we’ve encountered, with geographical challenges, heritage sites, and tourism restrictions all playing a role. Reaching this significant milestone under Project Gigabit is a huge achievement.”

“Stories like Andrew’s are a powerful reminder of why we do what we do. This project is making a lasting impact on digital infrastructure, bringing Full Fibre broadband to those who were previously left behind and truly transforming lives in these communities.”

“Focused on our next milestone, we’re excited for the future and fully committed to delivering 99.9% Full Fibre broadband coverage across Cumbria.”

Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant said: “Fast, reliable broadband is essential to help grow businesses and our economy as a whole, and Project Gigabit is rolling out the connectivity to help make this growth a reality for people. For farmers like Andrew, it demonstrates how businesses can thrive with access to great digital connectivity.

“We’re breaking down barriers to opportunity and nowhere is this more apparent than in Cumbria, where almost 12,500 more homes and businesses now have access to lightning-fast broadband.”

Fibrus’ impact in Cumbria extends far beyond broadband. In April 2023, the Fibrus launched the ‘Community Fund Cumbria’ to help combat digital poverty, with a special focus on supporting older and younger members of the community. By the end of this year, Fibrus will have invested £180,000 to help tackle digital exclusion in the region.

To further support local youth, Fibrus also introduced the Play it Forward Fund’ in 2023, providing vital funding to grassroots, non-profit sports clubs across Cumbria. To date, 40 clubs have benefited from this initiative. Fibrus’ commitment to young people is also demonstrated through its apprentice training facility at the former agricultural college at Newton Rigg, Penrith. Here, 46 apprentices have completed their training, with more set to be trained by 2026.

Fibrus is offering fantastic career opportunities to Cumbrian graduates as it rolls out Full Fibre broadband in the region.

In 2022, Fibrus was selected to deliver the £108 million broadband improvement contract for Cumbria to bring next generation broadband services to homes and businesses that might have otherwise missed out on gigabit upgrades.

This was part of Project Gigabit, the UK government’s rollout of lightning-fast, reliable broadband across the UK. At the end of March, Fibrus announced it had signed an extension to this contract, providing an additional 21,000 premises in Cumbria with access to Full Fibre broadband.

Andrew Lee, 35, from Kendal, joined in July as a Hyperfast stakeholder engagement graduate after completing a criminology degree at Lancaster University.

Fibrus’ one-year graduate programme offers comprehensive training, a dedicated mentor, and valuable hands-on experience. To date, nine graduates have joined the company through the programme, successfully completing both the ‘Business Essentials Programme’ and the ‘Mentoring Programme.’ These graduates have been integrated into various teams, including Stakeholder Engagement, GIS Technology, Workforce Management, and Project Management.

In a recent feedback survey, participants gave the programme a perfect score of 100% for the relevance of its topics and the organisation of the content. The graduates also agreed that the programme significantly supported their transition into the workplace.

Andrew said: “I’m part of a team that speaks to politicians, members of the public, schools and businesses to explain the benefits of full fibre broadband.

“We attend parish council meetings, agricultural shows, and various engagement events. The most common question is, ‘When am I going to get Full Fibre?’. 

“There’s no such thing as a standard day, it’s quite varied. I enjoy a job with challenges and find it really engaging.

“I’ve been given responsibility for engagement with schools and will soon start going to talk to sixth formers. I share information about how we deliver fibre to the premises (FTTP) technologies and the benefits that this brings. I also discuss Fibrus opportunities and careers available in the telecoms space.”

Prior to university, Andrew had been working in a customer contact centre in Windermere but found the job repetitive.

He said: “I had the opportunity to do an access course in policing and forensics at Kendal College, which allowed me to go to university as a mature student.

“I was fascinated by criminology but knew it wouldn’t necessarily lead to a career. I was looking at graduate job opportunities and came across Fibrus.

“I really liked the vision of Fibrus, that every home should be able to access Full Fibre broadband. Everyone should have access, it’s a basic service which makes a real difference to communities. The positive and open culture at Fibrus has given me the opportunity to try out different approaches and see what is most engaging for the young people I am speaking to, which is why it is a dynamic and fun role for me.”

As part of their commitment to supporting local communities, Fibrus is offering work experience placements to students aged 16-18 from local schools and colleagues this Spring. Students will be invited to the Newton Rigg training site in Penrith and will have the opportunity to engage in a comprehensive and interactive learning experience. Activities will include business administration, marketing, stakeholder engagement, health and safety, apprenticeship insight and technical insights.

To find out more about careers with Fibrus, visit, here. For questions, or to submit an application, please contact our careers team careers@fibrus.com .

Elite Taekwon-Do NI, based in Bangor, is one of the recipients of the Fibrus Play it Forward Fund 2024. Elite Taekwon-Do NI was established in January 2024 by Dean Pritchard, an instructor in Taekwon-Do for over a decade who has trained in Taekwon-Do for 16 years. The grant awarded to Elite Taekwon-Do through the Play it Forward Fund will allow the relatively new club to purchase new equipment, therefore allowing more children to join the club.

The fund, which is now in its second year, has provided more than £30k to NI groups and organisations this year alone, on top of the funding allocated to grassroots clubs in Cumbria. Over the last two years, the Fibrus Play it Forward fund has contributed £100,000 to sports clubs in both Northern Ireland and Cumbria, England, helping kids get outside and switch off from their devices. In Northern Ireland, almost £60,000 has been allocated to local clubs.

The Play it Forward Fund is designed to support children and young people under the age of 18 by encouraging them to get involved with sports on a community level. It’s aim, however, is to reach beyond sports, empowering children in local communities to prioritise movement, health and wellbeing.

Fibrus has offered grants of up to £1,000 per club which are designed to help with equipment, kits, improving facilities and subsidising training fees.

Linda McMillan, Chief People Officer at Fibrus, said: “We are committed to playing a role in improving the health and wellbeing of children and young people, so investing in local communities is important to us. Our Play It Forward Fund is just one way we do this.

“I’m delighted to see a new batch of clubs benefitting from the Fund’s second year in Northern Ireland, including Elite Taekwon-Do NI. We had a fantastic response to the Fund this year and we are excited to see how our funding helps the clubs we’re supporting in Northern Ireland and Cumbria. Sports and clubs are at the heart of the communities where we operate, and we want to support these communities as widely as we can.”

Dean Pritchard from Elite Taekwon-Do NI commented: “Our club has progressed from strength to strength within a short period of time.  We are inclusive and open to all ages – we have students as young as five years old as well as more mature students. In the last year we have entered our team into five competitions both locally and nationally. Most recently in the Irish National championships in Limerick where we came away with three gold medals.”

“The money provided through the Fibrus Play it Forward Fund has been a massive help to us, as with every new club there are a lot of costs and receiving this support from Fibrus has helped us to be able to purchase equipment. This means that we can progress the students training and hopefully attract some new members to the sport.”

To find out more about the Fibrus Play it Forward Fund please visit here.

Today we’ve launched the 2025 Fibrus Broadband Community Fund, with £120,000 available for community groups across Northern Ireland and Cumbria.

Since launching the programme in 2021, we’ve donated £175,000 to local groups across Northern Ireland and £120,000 to 68 local groups across Cumbria, with a focus on addressing digital poverty and fostering inclusivity within rural communities.

We’re committed to supporting rural communities, whether it’s through our Full Fibre broadband rollout in rural towns and villages across Northern Ireland and Northern England, or through our sponsorship packages to groups and clubs around the country.

Linda McMillan, Chief People Officer at Fibrus said: “The local community is at the heart of everything we do at Fibrus, from our day-to-day work to our sponsorships and community engagement. The Fibrus Community Fund 2025 will see another £60,000 go to deserving clubs and organisations, helping us bridge the gap in becoming a fully digital inclusive society.

“We are delighted to bring Full Fibre broadband to areas that have been notoriously hard to reach and are extremely proud to continue working with Community Foundation NI to expand our rural community’s digital literacy and connectivity through this fund.”

Previous beneficiary of the fund, Craft Collective based just outside Limavady, received £500 from the Fibrus Community Fund in 2024 to educate its members about digital cutting to support their creative skills. A volunteer-led team, Craft Collective is a solace for the community where people of all ages and abilities come together to learn new skills in sewing, quilting, crocheting, knitting and more as well as to meet new people and build new connections.

Angela Miller from Craft Collective said: “At Craft Collective we wanted to step up the services for the creative minds in our local community and get them involved with state-of-the-art, digital cutting equipment and the Fibrus Community Fund helped us do just that.  The money enabled us to bring in a tutor to open opportunities to use computer applications in conjunction with crafting projects. Our local residents really embraced these classes, enjoyed meeting new people and learning new skills.”

Orla Black, Grants Director at Community Foundation NI said: “Digital exclusion continues to be a priority for us at Community Foundation NI and so we are thrilled to partner with Fibrus again to get vital funds out into the community.

“Year on year the number of applications for the Fibrus Community Fund continues to grow and we are seeing real-world benefits from those who are successful in their application. To date there has been £175,000 allocated with a further £60,000 coming in 2025.  This is a huge amount of support that gives an ever-growing amount of people and organisations throughout our communities the chance to develop digital skills and stay connected in the ever-changing world.”

If you are part of, or know of, a club or organisation that could benefit from funding, the next round of the Fibrus Community Fund is now open and will close on Friday, 9 May.

Learn more about the Community Fund Northern Ireland here.

Learn more about the Community Fund Cumbria here.

We’re delighted to announce the appointment of our two new Managing Directors!

The new appointments and leadership structure follows a strategic decision to reorganise Fibrus Group into three distinct businesses: Fibrus Broadband, Hyperfast Networks, and Viberoptix, all which sit within Fibrus Group.

The new operating model is designed to set us up for further success in a fast-moving environment and to enable future growth and expansion. It offers us the flexibility to grow each business, while following a coordinated strategy to respond quickly to shifts in the market and capitalise on new opportunities.

This comes of the back of a record-breaking year that saw us increase our customer base by 143%, reach our 100,000-customer milestone and pass 400k premises as a result of our ambitious network build in Northern Ireland and Cumbria. At the end of March, we announced we have signed an extension to our Project Gigabit contract in England, providing 60% more premises in Cumbria with access to Full Fibre broadband under the project.

Previously Director of Sales and Marketing, Keava McHugh, will step into the role of Managing Director of Fibrus Group’s retail brand, Fibrus Broadband. In this role, Keava will continue overseeing the Fibrus brand, which she has led from its start-up phase to a trusted household name in Northern Ireland.

With extensive strategic marketing and commercial experience with established and challenger telecoms brands, Keava will shape and lead initiatives to deliver sustainable customer growth, scale the company’s retail operation, and provide top-tier service to its growing customer base.

Keava said: “Our customer base has grown significantly, and every year, our momentum strengthens. I’m proud to lead this effort, building on the exceptional strides we’ve already made as we continue to expand our presence in key markets.”

“Our focus remains on delivering sustainable growth while keeping our customers at the heart of everything we do. It’s all about creating lasting value and reliability for them, and that’s what fuels our continued success.”

Jenny Lennon will take the reins of Hyperfast Networks, responsible for the operation and maintenance of our growing network in NI & GB, developing the wholesale proposition, and managing the delivery of government funded projects.

Jenny is uniquely positioned to lead the business, having delivered transformative digital infrastructure projects at other major telecoms brands and playing a key role in Northern Ireland’s digital evolution for over two decades. At Fibrus, she has been instrumental in the success of our fibre to the premises (FTTP) roll out including the delivery of one of the most significant digital infrastructure projects in NI, Project Stratum.

Jenny said: “I’m delighted to be leading Hyperfast Networks as we continue to grow, innovate and leave a lasting mark on the digital infrastructure in NI and Northern England.”

“With our sights set on expanding our network, we’re excited about the future – delivering projects successfully, forging new partnerships, and expanding our offerings to better serve our communities and customers.”

Colin Hutchinson, Managing Director at Fibrus Group, commented: “Jenny and Keava know the business inside out and have been integral to the Fibrus journey, bringing experience, perspectives, and unstoppable energy that has been instrumental to our success story so far.

“As Fibrus steps into this new era, freshly crowned as the fastest-growing tech company in Northern Ireland and second fastest on the Island of Ireland, we’re proud to be leading the charge for innovation, championing customers, bridging the digital divide, and connecting communities.”

The two new roles join our Senior Leadership team which includes founders Dominic Kearns, CEO, and Conal Henry, Chair, as well as Conor Harrison, Chair at Viberoptix, Shane Haslem, COO, Linda McMillan, CPO and Colin Hutchinson as Group MD and CFO.

Down Royal Racecourse is thrilled to welcome back Full Fibre broadband provider Fibrus as the title sponsor of the highly anticipated Fibrus Family Race Day, taking place on Sunday 13th April 2025.

Following a fantastic debut last year, Fibrus is reaffirming its support for this special event, ensuring another day of thrilling National Hunt racing and exciting family entertainment. This continued partnership cements the Fibrus Family Race Day as a key fixture in Down Royal’s annual calendar, bringing the total number of race meetings in 2025 to twelve.

Families can look forward to an action-packed day, featuring top-class horse racing alongside a variety of family-friendly activities, including bouncy castles, face painting, balloon modelling, a petting farm, and much more.

As a leading broadband provider founded in Northern Ireland, Fibrus is committed to delivering ultrafast Full Fibre Broadband to rural homes and businesses across NI and GB. Their support of the Family Race Day reflects their dedication to connecting communities – not just online, but in real life too.

Commenting on the sponsorship, Dominic Kearns, Founder and CEO at Fibrus said: “We’re delighted to return as the sponsor of the Fibrus Family Race Day at Down Royal Racecourse for a second year. Communities are at the heart of everything we do, shaping every decision we make, and giving back is a key part of our mission.

“Last year’s event was a resounding success, and we’re proud to continue our partnership, bringing families together for another fantastic day of fun, excitement, and top-tier racing. We look forward to welcoming racegoers back for another memorable day of sport and entertainment.”

Chloe Ferris, Commercial Director at Down Royal Racecourse added: “We are thrilled to welcome Fibrus back as the headline sponsor of our Family Race Day. The success of last year’s event proved that there is huge demand for an accessible and exciting day out for families, and we’re delighted to build on that momentum.

“With general admission, children under 14 can attend for free with a ticket-holding adult, making this a great value day out for everyone. We look forward to welcoming families and racing fans alike to another fantastic event.”

Gates open at 12pm on Sunday 13th April. For full details and tickets, visit downroyal.com/tickets.

Fibrus is pleased to report that it will be bringing access to the fastest broadband speeds on the market to even more homes and businesses in Cumbria, as its UK-Government-funded Project Gigabit contract has been extended.

Fibrus was awarded the Project Gigabit contract in November 2022 which initially covered 32,000 homes and businesses, as well as further homes and businesses that could potentially be brought into the rollout.

Today this has been extended to cover an additional 21,000 premises that would otherwise be left out of any rollout plans. Once this is delivered alongside other commercial plans, it means that 99% of homes and businesses in Cumbria should have access to next generation broadband.

Project Gigabit in Cumbria is making good progress, with premises already connected in villages including Workington, Aspatria, Kendal and Penrith. This latest agreement will bring access to fast reliable broadband to hard-to-reach communities like Leece, Threlkeld, Abbeytown and Slack Head.

This is in addition to the delivery of Project Stratum in Northern Ireland, a separate government-funded rollout which is currently around 98% complete, and scheduled to finish in June’25, on time and within budget.

Fibrus has quickly become a household name in the areas in which it operates, with a high-quality product and great customer service. In addition to delivering premises on time and within budget, Fibrus continues to see exceptional levels of customer take-up in both its subsidised and commercial footprints. Penetration at the end of March 2025 will exceed 27% for Fibrus as a whole and exceed 34% in its subsidised footprint, with earlier cohorts already above 50%.

This growing take-up, combined with steady ARPU growth, means that Fibrus will achieve EBITDA profitability for the coming financial year with annualised recurring revenues in February 2025 already exceeding £32million and growing steadily month on month.

Dominic Kearns, Chief Executive Officer at Fibrus said:

“I am proud of the transformational impact we have had on digital infrastructure in NI and Cumbria. We have been delivering Full Fibre broadband to some of the most challenging geographies and rural areas, ensuring no one gets left behind by the digital divide.

Our internal build team and our partners have demonstrated market leading expertise in rural delivery through our Stratum project and now the Project Gigabit Cumbria build.

Lightning fast, reliable, Full Fibre broadband at affordable prices is what our customers need, and we’re pleased to be the number one provider in our connectable footprint, having connected our 100,000th customer in November last year.

Being awarded this contract extension is a testament to the moves we have made so far, and we’re only just getting started.”

Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant said: “Better broadband will not only enhance the quality of life for tens of thousands of homes and businesses across rural Cumbria, but it will also help us put an end to disparities between urban and rural areas.

“Only last month, we launched our Digital Inclusion Action Plan, setting out our next steps to shrink the digital gap. This announcement is a fantastic example of how a Government-backed contract will help ensure people in rural areas are not left behind and have the tools they need to thrive in the digital age.”

Workington Town RL Ladies’ remarkable season was one of both triumph and heartbreak for new manager Janette Fearon.

In their first competitive season the team won the League Two title in September and then the Grand Final to secure promotion, just two years after they were created.

They also won the Plate Cup against teams from League One, meaning three pieces of silverware are heading to the Fibrus Community Stadium.

But they also had to cope with tragedy when team manager Sue Grimley passed away last autumn.

Janette began the season as a player, still taking to the field well into her forties, and ended it taking over the role from Sue.

“Sue was a really good friend of mine,” she said. “I went right through her treatment with her, and when she passed, it was just absolutely devastating. Everything we’ve done was for Sue. The girls knew for the last two months that Sue was ill, and I think that drove us on as well to achieve what we did.

“She couldn’t come to the games anymore towards the end of her illness, so we used to get her on speakerphone, and she still used to tell them all what to do.

“She asked me to help her out maybe two months before the end of the season, when she was ill. So my retirement worked well, because she knew I was retiring, and she said I had to play one more match. So I played a match, and then I helped her out towards the end, and then became manager.”

Beyond Sue’s influence, Workington Town Ladies’ success was built on teamwork and commitment, something to be highlighted as International Women’s Day on March 8 approaches.

“We gelled on and off the field. It felt like a big family,” Janette added. “Our range of ages and abilities made us stronger. I was playing at 47 alongside 17-year-olds.

“We started with just seven players, and it was a development stage,” she said. “Many of the girls had never played competitively before, but as more people joined and the team bonded, our confidence grew.”

Janette’s own involvement in rugby league began through her family. “I’ve got two children and I’ve been involved with their rugby club since my eldest, who’s nearly 17 now, played in the under-sixes. And my kids kept saying to me, ‘Why don’t you just go and play, Mam?’ When somebody mentioned Workington Town starting up, I thought I might as well.”

Growing up, Workington-born Janette, who works with children with behavioural difficulties, never had the opportunity to play rugby.

Her sporting idols were in athletics and swimming – Fatima Whitbread, Denise Lewis, and Sharon Davies. Now she finds herself working with England Women’s RL players like Amy Hardcastle and Jodie Cunningham when they have visited Workington Town.

In the last few years, the sport has gained popularity for women, and Janette believes the rise in women’s football has helped shift perspectives, making women’s participation in rugby league more accepted.

She said: “It’s becoming more normal for girls to do whereas, when I was a lot younger, all we used to do was netball and hockey. Now both sexes can play rugby, and it’s absolutely brilliant.”

International Women’s Day this weekend will only serve to shine a brighter spotlight on women’s sport.

“Sport in general over the years has been male dominated,” said Janette, “but now women are coming through in all the professional sports and recognised more, so it’s really great that we are having days like this where we can show what’s going on.

“It’s not just rugby, it’s football, everything. Women are getting recognised more in sport. You’ve got more women commentators on men’s sports. It’s coming up to par now.”

And the success of Workington Town Ladies, who are sponsored by Fibrus Broadband, is attracting more women to rugby league and acting as motivation for girls locally.

Janette said: “Over the past 18 months to two years where rugby has become more popular, a lot of the younger lasses just want to come and play.

“You can motivate them when they’re here but they are already really motivated to want to play. They are seizing the chance.

“I think we’ve taken on about 10 new signings this season, and we’ve got more coming up just because they’re hearing how well we are doing and there’s not a lot of opportunities in our area for girls to come and play semi-professional as we are.”

“We’re looking to extend the girls’ rugby with different age groups,” she added, “getting more girls on board, so we can create a pathway so they can come into our first team. It should only grow and get bigger.

“The investment and belief from Fibrus in this team has been instrumental in helping it go from strength to strength.”

Linda Mcmillan, Chief People Officer of Fibrus, said: “The success of Workington Town Ladies has been nothing short of extraordinary and Janette has been a key part of that, inspiring her teammates on and off the pitch.

“We’re delighted that our backing has gone some way to helping the team to their success and also widening the appeal of women’s rugby in West Cumbria and further afield.”

Workington Town Ladies RLFC train on Tuesdays and Thursdays and can be contacted through their Facebook and Instagram pages.