Valkyrie make history with 122-0 win over Hull KR in Challenge Cup

Meaning no disrespect to Hull, the difference in class between the sides was seismic, with the Valkyrie seeming not to have left first gear against their Betfred Women’s Championship opponents.

The Robins had only played their first ever match in the Challenge Cup a fortnight ago, such is the development of the women’s game, but could leave the LNER Community Stadium with their heads held high after a gutsy and battling performance against arguably the best female side in the country.

Former Leeds Rhinos prop Aimee Staveley opened the scoring for the Valkyrie in just the second minute, setting the tone for York to run in four scores inside the opening 10 minutes.

Such was York’s dominance, they brought up the half-century in just 18 minutes and led 66-0 at half time in what proved to be a learning experience for Hull, who remained firmly camped in their own half for much of the encounter.

It is testament to how the visitors regrouped after the interval that they did not suffer an almighty collapse against their higher-ranked opponents, though there was ample time for captain Sinead Peach and Savannah Andrade to bring their tally to four apiece.

With six of her players having featured for England last weekend, Valkyrie Director of Rugby Lindsay Anfield made a number of changes to her squad, welcoming back Ashleigh Hyde and the suspended Jas Bell, as well as the influential Rhiannion Marshall from illness.

York had their lower-ranked visitors on the back foot from the outset as Tara Jane Stanley’s kick-off failed to be collected by Hull, Staveley profiting from the resultant scrum 10 metres from the line to force her way across the whitewash to the left of the posts.

Aimee Staveley opens the scoring for York in the second minute. (Image: Craig Hawkhead)

The Valkyrie were three scores in front on the seven-minute mark as first Tamzin Renouf, playing at half-back rather than her preferred role in the centres, cut through a gap in the Hull defence to cross, before Lacey Owen broke quickly up the field before playing in the supporting Emma Kershaw on the overlap.

Stanley converted the latter but not the former on an afternoon in which she would arrow nine of her 12 attempts through the posts before being rested shortly before half time.

Hull struggled to lay a hand on the ball, with York extending their lead to 38 points midway through the half.

Full-back Stanley executed a sublime delayed pass to release Andrade to score her first after 13 minutes, with the returning Bell then playing in captain Peach, who showed great ingenuity to stretch across the line, before Renouf executed another of her trademark tries from the restart, running from the halfway line through the Hull line and diving beneath the posts.

The impressive Owen then turned try-scorer with a surging run through the Robins’ defence, as a lovely show of hands four minutes later saw centre Georgie Hetherington cross down the right edge to bring York past the half-century.

Peach had her hat-trick on the half-hour mark after Bell shrugged off a challenge to offload to the hooker, with Stanley feeding Bettie Lambert and Liv Gale finding Owen to both cross before the break, Liv Whitehead taking over the kicking duties to see her side lead 66-0 at the interval.

Liv Whitehead enjoyed a successful afternoon from the tee. (Image: Craig Hawkhead)

Despite having wrapped up the win, York’s pursuit of further tries was relentless, and they needed just two minutes after the interval to increase their lead when Gale played in Bell to drive across the line.

Renouf completed her hat-trick three minutes later after a neat pass from Peach out of dummy half, before Kershaw executed a delightful turn and step to dodge a tackle and bundle over the line.

Andrade had her second in the 53rd minute in sensational style as she ran forward unchallenged 25 metres to cross beneath the posts, before Liv Wood got in on the act with a similar burst down the right edge, and Peach grabbed her fourth after diving beneath the posts, again from dummy half.

Whitehead’s burst forward down the right saw York pass the 100-mark three minutes later, albeit with the scoreboard only able to show up to 99, before Marshall became the next to add her name to the scoresheet after using her strength to charge underneath the posts, before converting her own score.

There was still time for Andrade to complete her four-try haul after crossing the whitewash twice in as many minutes, barging over to the right of the posts before profiting from a neat show of hands to complete the rout with five minutes remaining.

The Valkyrie received a standing ovation from the healthy crowd in attendance on the hooter. They will return to action next weekend, where they will be hoping to retain their Women’s Nines title in Warrington, having clinched victory in the inaugural tournament last year with a 7-0 triumph over Leeds.  

YORK VALKYRIE: Stanley, Hyde, Kershaw, Hetherington, Lambert, Renouf, Gale, Wood, Peach, Staveley, Owen, Andrade, Marshall.

INTERCHANGES: Whitehead, Bell, Hendry, Sharp, Sanderson.

TRIES: Staveley (2), Renouf (5, 21, 45), Kershaw (7, 50), Peach (10, 18, 31, 60), Andrade (13, 53, 72, 75), Owen (23, 38), Hetherington (28), Lambert (35), Bell (43), Wood (56), Whitehead (62), Marshall (68)

GOALS: Stanley 9/12, Whitehead 4/6, Marshall 4/4

HULL KR: C. Nolan, Marritt, Banks, Holliday, Mulhern, Oaten-Powdrill, Kudla, Greaves, A. Nolan, Brown, Hall, Kendall, Brewster.

INTERCHANGES: Ostler, Hunter, Cooper, Byrom, Mullins.

POINTS SEQUENCE: 4-0, 6-0, 10-0, 14-0, 16-0, 20-0, 22-0, 26-0, 28-0, 32-0, 34-0, 38-0, 40-0, 44-0, 46-0, 50-0, 54-0, 56-0, 60-0, 64-0, 66-0, 70-0, 72-0, 76-0, 80-0, 84-0, 86-0, 90-0, 92-0, 96-0, 98-0, 102-0, 104-0, 108-0, 110-0, 114-0, 116-0, 120-0, 122-0.

HALF TIME: 66-0

YORK’S STAR WOMAN: Lacey Owen. The second rower looked to be back to her best on Sunday. Notable mentions must also go to Peach, Renouf and Andrade for a sensational attacking performance.

REFEREE: Brandon Worsley