York Valkyrie: Rebranded women's rugby league side aim to maintain upward curve
- Published
Sinead Peach was a big player for York in 2022, and is captain in 2023
You can feel history all around you in York, given its rich past; from the Romans to the Saxons to the Vikings, from the minster and the castle to the railways.
The beauty of history is it is being written all the time.
Now, it is the turn of the Valkyrie. These trailblazing women are etching new chapters to go with the old classics - and get the new Women's Super League season under way against Leeds Rhinos on Sunday.
Just seven years after coming into existence, York's women's team have a new name - having ditched the Knights moniker for their own branding.
And, with a League Leaders' Shield in the cabinet and Challenge Cup final and Super League Grand Final appearances already banked, they are far from finished.
"To have our own name and be distinguished from the lads, it's great," England international and Valkyrie captain Sinead Peach told BBC Sport.
"Like Clint [Goodchild, chairman] says he wouldn't put York's men in a 'Princesses' jersey, so to be named Valkyries is great.
"Success for us is most importantly being the most consistent team, hopefully we'll play some good rugby and on the back of that get some silverware."
Investment paying off
Tara-Jane Stanley is one of the stars of the York side, having followed Lindsay Anfield from Castleford
York have really grasped the women's game's mantle in recent seasons, and reaped the rewards.
Stars such as Tara-Jane Stanley, Hollie Dodd and Savannah Andrade have joined, while the earlier appointment of former Castleford boss Lindsay Anfield as director of rugby was a key stepping stone to establishing an elite infrastructure.
They made the Challenge Cup final in 2021 before losing to St Helens and were edged out by Leeds in last year's Grand Final having finished top of the outright league table.
Such success has arguably given them a greater profile than their male counterparts, and that in turn has piqued interest in their development.
Key to the rebrand has been chairman Clint Goodchild, an Australian businessman whose vision was for a "one-club" ethos having taken over in January 2022.
"I think it's [women's rugby league] something to be very excited about, the growth in the women's game is something that is very real," Goodchild said.
"Participation numbers, crowd numbers, viewing numbers; for me the commercial opportunities are still being realised and we don't really know where the ceiling is.
"From a business person's mindset I'm going to keep investing until I know where that ceiling is. So at the moment there's great growth, great opportunity, there's great excitement. We've got to get behind it and embrace it."
Closer to professional for the women
Goodchild's Valkyrie are one of two clubs along with Leeds to confirm payments to players from 2023 onwards, a step closer to a "professional" scenario for the women's game.
With players like Peach juggling jobs with training and playing, weeks - particularly in pre-season - can be hard and long.
Yet the strive toward professionalism is more than just financial, it is about commitment and preparation.
"It's massive in the women's game and this is where we want it to grow to," Peach added. "This is just the starting point, obviously last season winning the League Leaders' Shield and being the most consistent team we got this [payments] on the back of that.
"We're training three times a week, Monday, Wednesday, Friday; we've got Simon [Worsop] in who's the head of strength and conditioning, and we've changed it up.
"We're doing more ball work, more ball work under fatigue instead of just running lengths of the pitch.
"It's really good, the girls are really buying into it, and we're seeing the improvements on the back of it.
"This season we just need to kick on, match last season and go one further."
No room for complacency
The decision to bring both men's and women's clubs under the York RLFC umbrella has brought extra rewards, such as the sharing of ideas and practice between Anfield and her men's counterpart Andrew Henderson.
With the rewards, the success already achieved and the extra investment, the pressure is now on for the women to continue their upward trajectory.
"Our biggest risk is that we become complacent in the games that aren't big ones," Goodchild said.
"If you look at the semi-final last year, no-one here has really spoken about Wigan. They were a young team last year that every time we played them, they got closer and closer. That semi-final was not an easy game to win.
"To think this is a three-horse race is a massive risk, and I think that as a club we really need to get prepared for every game we play regardless of who it is.
"If we can put big points on someone, then great, because those for and against might be what gets the League Leaders' Shield or that home play-off.
"Every game matters and has to be taken seriously, we want to win silverware but my biggest fear is we don't take the little games the same way as the big ones."
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