A 12-YEAR-OLD dancer from Yate has won the World Championship in Irish dancing.

Talented Rosie Rendell became World Irish Dance Association champion on Saturday after competing in the competition virtually three weeks ago.

Rosie, a year seven student at Yate Academy dances for Fishponds based dance school, Stuart Irish Dance and also for the Stapleton School of dance at the Ridge in Yate. The dedicated youngster who started dancing at six-years-old now trains four times a week. Throughout lockdown she and her fellow dancers have continued to practise- completing dance classes on zoom calls.

Rosie was due to compete in the World Championships in Germany this year and Holland last year, but restrictions due to the pandemic stopped all live competitions- instead, the worlds competition was held online virtually with the competitors dancing at their own dance studios around the world.

Rosie, who has also just won the Hong Kong Championship comes from a family of talented sportspeople- her father John has played semi-professional football and her brother Joshua, 10, is on the books for Bristol Rovers academy as well as playing county cricket for Gloucestershire.

Proud dad John said: “Seeing the dedication required to dance at such a high level has been a real eye opener.

“During the pandemic where Rosie and her dance mates religiously trained via zoom for several months that was really tough for her. There were times when she struggled, but she ploughed through and is now fully reaping the benefits.

“We are very proud of her achievements.”