Sinead Peach has been named as the captain of York Valkyrie ahead of the 2023 season.
Peach joined York from Castleford Tigers in 2021 and was named as the Co-Captain alongside the long-serving Katie Langan ahead of last season.
Following Langan’s retirement last month, Peach now becomes the new Valkyrie Captain.
Peach has been a key member of Lindsay Anfield’s squad since her arrival at York, earning consecutive nominations for the Woman of Steel award in 2021 and 2022.
Last year, the hooker led the Valkyrie to a first League Leaders’ Shield in the Betfred Women’s Super League and the inaugural Women’s Nines as well as to a maiden Grand Final.
The 24-year-old’s displays won her a recall to the England National Performance Squad in January.
On becoming the new Valkyrie Captain, Peach said: “It’s a massive honour. I really enjoyed being Co-Captain of the squad last season and being able to lift the League Leaders’ Shield, so to be appointed as Captain is an honour.
“I am really missing Katie as Co-Captain but I’m honoured to be stepping up as Captain this year.
“I don’t think my role changes much now going from Co-Captain to Captain, I’ll stick to what worked well last year.
“I’ll still be the same player around the girls and I am as driven as ever.
“I am a vocal leader and I’m really passionate about the game, which the girls know and respond well to. I don’t think they’d want me any other way to be honest!”
The Valkyrie begin 2023 in the Betfred Women’s Super League's season opener at Headingley Stadium against Leeds Rhinos - a rematch of last year’s Grand Final (3.30pm).
The match will be a curtain raiser to the Betfred Super League fixture between Leeds Rhinos and Huddersfield Giants (6pm).
Peach added: “Playing Leeds Rhinos at Headingley Stadium on Sky Sports in round one, it’s massive and it doesn’t get much bigger than that.
“It’s a massive way to kick off women’s rugby league in 2023.”
Valkyrie Director of Rugby Anfield, who is proudly sponsored by Acomb Travel, said: “Sinead is a strong leader for us and she’s matured over the off-season, given that she’s stepping up into this role now.
“Sinead has got a strong leadership group behind her as we’ve got to remember that she’s still only young herself at 24.
“She’s developing all the time and finding better ways to do things.
“The fact that she’s just got back into the England squad will give her a lot of confidence going into the new season too.”
