YORK VALKYRIE have signed two-time Betfred Women's Super League winner Aimee Staveley from Leeds Rhinos.

One of the club's founding players, Staveley enjoyed a decorated career in her five-year spell in West Yorkshire, during which the Rhinos were twice crowned Women's Super League champions.

The 33-year-old forward has won two of the three Betfred Challenge Cup finals that she has featured in, and has also lifted the Betfred League Leaders' Shield.

Staveley who wore the number eight shirt for the Rhinos last season, is comfortable playing at either prop forward or second row, and will add versatility to Lindsay Anfield's squad.

Speaking about her excitement at joining the Valkyrie, Staveley admitted that the move east was a "no-brainer."

“I’m really excited to get started here at York," she enthused. 

“I approached Lindsay to see if there was anything that she could offer me and she was really keen to have me on board, so I bit her hand off.

“Lindsay is a great coach and it speaks volumes when players that you’ve previously coached want to follow you onto bigger and better things.

“For me, this move was a no-brainer.”

Anfield was similarly pleased to have the highly-decorated forward link up with her squad, saying:

"I’ve known Aimee for a long time and really respected her as a player, so I’m delighted to bring her to the club.

“She’s always been someone that, whenever we’ve played Leeds, especially in big games, has stepped up and could be faultless in her performances.

“She has so much experience, so she’s a really good addition to the squad, bringing a lot of maturity to us.

“We’ve got a lot of young girls, so we’ve brought in someone with experience at the top level.

“She’ll be a really good leader on and off the field for us with the standards that she sets. She’ll be a great model for the younger girls.”

Staveley looks set to make her debut in Knights colours against the Rhinos in a repeat of last year's Grand Final in their Women's Super League opener at Headingley on April 9.