Women rugby players are a rare breed, but Saima Hussain is unique.

Saima, a star centre for Keighley Cats rugby league squad, is the only Asian female rugby league player in the country.

To her coach the 26-year-old sports development officer is an inspiration.

She is just recovering from her second dislocated shoulder but was out yesterday playing for the team against Rochdale Hillside.

But next month she will be revelling in the attention of some of the top sports people in the country, at a ceremony in London, after being nominated for the Most Up & Coming Sports Personality of the Year in the Sony Entertainment Sports Personality awards.

They are to celebrate the achievements of British Asian sporting talents.

Saima, who found her love of sport at the former Rishworth Middle School in Crossflatts, is among 11 people up for a prize, on Saturday February 4, at the London Hilton Hotel.

Among the glitterati will be England and Spurs striker Jermain Defoe, Indian cricket star Kapil Dev and Olympic silver medalist boxer Amir Khan.

Saima, of Victoria Park View, Keighley, is a member of the Yorkshire women's rugby league squad and a sports development officer by profession.

And she was the 2005 player of the season for Keighley Cats and will be entering the Yorkshire trials around Easter time with a bid to getting into the Great Britain squad for the world series in 2008.

She said: "I'm really excited about the award. I want to raise the profile of women's rugby league and encourage more women, including Asian women, to become involved.

"Women get a lot out of the game - there are a lot of skills and it isn't just tackle and pile in."

As a Muslim, she is aware of the problems for girls but says her parents have supported her and are proud of her achievements. She credits her introduction to the game to her teacher at Rishworth Middle School.

"I owe a lot to the sports teacher, Mr Butler - if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have got into sport.

"He saw my talent as a runner and got me into all sorts of sport - football, hockey, 100 metres and rugby," Saima explained.

With no rugby at Greenhead School, Keighley, where she went after Rishworth, she concentrated on athletics, but it was a close friend who eventually persuaded her to join Keighley Cats.

Since then she has honed her skills under the guidance of player-coach Sarah Walsh.

"There are not many female rugby coaches. Sarah understands women's needs. She is an inspiration to me and a great motivator," Saima added.

Mrs Walsh has been Saima's coach for five seasons and nominated her for the prize.

"Saima is unique - she is the only Asian woman playing rugby league," she said.

"But besides that, she is an inspiration not just to other Asian women to get involved, but to all young women to try the game.

"When I first met Saima she was timid and now she has matured into one of the county's most respected players.

"She is dainty and very attractive - not what you imagine a rugby player to be. But she is so fast and such a fearless tackler."

The Sony awards were set up five years ago after viewers of Sony Entertainment Television voiced concern over the lack of recognition of Asian sportsmen and women.

Sony Entertainment television was established in 1995 on the Indian sub-continent and can be accessed on the web.