Sade Rihari: "We’ve got to trust the process again"

After ending 2024 lifting the Betfred Women’s Super League trophy as captain, York Valkyrie half-back, Sade Rihari has had a taste of success, and she’s looking for more in 2025!

After joining the club from Salford in 2023, the New Zealander is looking for a third title in a Valkyrie shirt, saying the Grand Final win over St.Helens last season will live with her for a long time.

“I keep recapping in my head that day,” she said. “ It was such a big achievement for us. We were underdogs going in and just to pull off again, I’m so proud of the girls and the club.

“We can take a lot from that. We’ve got so much to improve on and with the squad being reduced to 25 it's hard with injuries and stuff. But I know Lindsay (Anfield) and the coaching staff have got a plan. We’ve got to trust the process again and whoever is out on the field will do the job.

“We look at who the team is when we play them so there’s always going to be a certain plan that we stick to. When someone goes outside of it, that's when things can go wrong.

“But, week by week, the girls who were playing took it by both hands and we managed to get through each week and won the Grand Final so it’s good.”

Sade has been named as captain again this year, this time as part of a leadership group alongside Tara-Jane Stanley and the returning Sinead Peach.

“I don’t really think about it much because it’s team first for me.

“But it’s a privilege to be captain alongside Peachy and Tara and I’m really looking forward to working alongside them.”

This season promises to be one of the tightest competitions yet, with York, St.Helens and Leeds looking strong again, and an ever improving Wigan already challenging and shaking up the top order.

“The biggest achievement is always winning the Grand Final, but it’s going in to pre-season getting the fundamentals right, gelling as a team and taking it week by week. That started with the Challenge Cup and we go from there."

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