Betfred Women’s Super League Shield winner Sade Rihari joins York Valkyrie

The New Zealander spent 2022 with promotion-winning Salford Red Devils, who topped the Women’s Championship after 14 victories from their 15 regular season matches.

The 26-year-old arrives at York following previous spells with Australian clubs Queanbeyan Blues and Mackay Brothers. She has also represented New Zealand in touch rugby.

Rihari said: “I’m really excited to be here at York and get stuck in. The girls here compete really hard, which I love.

“I love their competitiveness, so this year should be good.

“From watching York last on TV, I thought to myself, ‘Wow, these girls are strong and here to win. Maybe I could play in one of these teams one day.’ Now I’ve got the opportunity and I’m going to take it with both hands.”

On her ambitions for 2023, Rihari stated: “We’re after every trophy. That’s what we want. We’re training hard in pre-season because we’re going into every game wanting to win.”

Valkyrie Director of Rugby Lindsay Anfield said: “Sade is someone that I’ve known about for a while.

“I see her as a natural half. As soon as she gets a ball in her hand, you can see that she understands the game really well, has an in-depth knowledge of rugby league and is a missing link for us at half-back.

“She’s not played on the biggest stage in this country yet but this is her opportunity now and hopefully she’ll flourish in our environment.”