Women's Super League team Castleford Tigers have made a ground-breaking move in rugby league as they agreed to loan four players to French side Déesses Catalanes.

Jasmine Cudjoe, Lucy Eastwood, Esme Reynolds and Hollie Dodd will all spend three weeks in France ahead of the start of the WSL next month.

Loans in women's rugby league are rare and this is the first time they have ever been completed between English and French clubs.

Speaking about the move, Tigers' head coach Lindsay Anfield said: "This is a historic move not only for Castleford but for the women’s game as a whole. This will be a fantastic experience for our girls and I hope they will learn a lot from it.”

Loanee Cudjoe added: “Basically, we’ve been asked to go over there and play some games. We’re going out there on the February 8 and we’re going for three weeks.

“With the language barrier, it’s going to be difficult. I know they have limited English so we’ll see how we can communicate with them. But, I’ve seen them play, they’re a really good team and they’ve got some really good players.”

Eastwood, another player who has been loaned to France, said: “I’m really excited to go along with my best friends to play rugby. There will be different coaches there so we’ll experience different coaching styles and playing with different girls.”

Castleford's first game back in the WSL is against St Helens on March 29.