York Valkyrie ended their 2023 Betfred Women's Super League season with their unbeaten record still in tact after a 60-4 victory over Huddersfield Giants.
We spoke to Director of Rugby Lindsay Anfield, who is proudly sponsored by Acomb Travel, after the clash at the LNER Community Stadium.
Congratulations on an amazing day, Lindsay, give us your immediate thoughts.
“What a great day just for women’s rugby league.
“It was a great game for the Under-19s, to beat Wigan, who had gone unbeaten all year. That was pleasing for the club.
“And then our girls put in a really good performance against Huddersfield. I don’t think that the scoreline actually reflected how tough the game was and I’m sure that Huddersfield are going to go from strength to strength in the off-season, so credit to them.
“It felt like a long time coming that we finally got to lift the Shield, so the girls and myself really enjoyed that moment."
How much did it mean to lift it here at the LNER Community Stadium?
“It was really special and it was just a great concept to allow us to lift it here.
“We’ve only been successful for a couple of years, so to be able to attract the crowd and attract the fans in to see that is really important for us, our development and getting our brand out there, it’s been a really good day."
How do you reflect on the performance itself>
“I thought that for the first half an hour, we were really good and we started showing the fluency that we’re getting in training, and then I threw a few challenges in there and it didn’t really go to plan, that’s why it probably went wayward a little bit.
"But then I thought in the last 20 minutes, they picked it back up again.
“We’re just looking for a whole performance to take to the Grand Final and to hopefully compete well for that trophy. That’s the aim of what we’re using that game for."
That victory ensured you finished the 2023 BWSL regular season still unbeaten, which is an incredible feat...
"That’s really great. The hard work that the girls put in hopefully is evident to people watching, that their athleticism and their commitment produces performances like that.
“We’ve just got to take this form into the Play-Offs."
And I guess the hard-work for those Play-Offs starts straight away!
“It certainly does! The training that we’re going to do, it’s going to be evident that the last game is the pinnacle that the sport’s created.
“But it's good that we’ve got a Play-Off Semi-Final at home, hopefully we should have this atmosphere again and to take us to the Grand Final if we can get past Wigan, so it’s exciting.”
Just finally, how pleased were you by the Under-19s' victory over Wigan?
"Wigan are one of the strongest Under-19s teams around. I think we got beaten in the 30s to nil the last time that we played them, so for them to turn them over this week, it just shows what a home advantage does.
“I’m really, really pleased with them and it’s a credit to Danny Holmes, who heads them up, it’s been a great programme this year.
"They’ve beaten Leeds and beaten Wigan today, so there’s some good signs for the future."
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