Parr played for Dick, Kerr Ladies as England beat France 4–0 at Deepdale, Preston, in what is widely regarded as the first recognised women's international football match.
On 7 May 1920, Lily Parr took the field for Dick, Kerr Ladies representing England against France at Deepdale, the home ground of Preston North End. The match, which England won 4–0, is widely cited by football historians as the first recognised women's international football match.
This fixture was part of a broader French touring series that helped establish women's football as a legitimate, crowd-drawing spectacle in the immediate aftermath of the First World War. Parr, already renowned for her powerful shooting and pace down the wing, was a central figure in the contest and helped cement Dick, Kerr Ladies' reputation as the dominant force in the women's game.
The significance of this match extends beyond the scoreline: it represented one of the earliest instances of organised international competition for women in any team sport, at a time when women were still fighting for basic civic and economic rights, including the vote (only partially achieved in Britain in 1918). The match drew large, enthusiastic crowds and press attention, demonstrating substantial public appetite for women's football that would later be suppressed by the Football Association's 1921 ban. Parr's participation in this historic fixture set a precedent for international women's football that would not be meaningfully revived until decades later.