PLYMOUTH Buccaneers’ Samantha Patrick has secured a place in the women’s Great Britain Lions Flag American Football team.

The city student impressed at trials held in Northampton at the start of this month and could feature in this year’s European Championships.

GB have initially selected 24 players, but that will be cut down for the championships. In 2015, GB took 15 women to the Euros.

Patrick’s Buccaneers’ team-mate Faye Doherty just missed out on making the GB squad.

Meanwhile, the Buccaneers made a disappointing start to their BAFA season.

The Buccs lost to multiple British champions Cardiff Hurricanes 26-24 in a shootout and 51-31 to local rivals Exeter Falcons in their opening tournament of the season.

They should have been playing three sides at All Saints College, but Merthyr Tydfil pulled out of the fixture at the last minute due to injuries and so handing Buccs a 1-0 win.