“YOU can’t really ask for a better performance.”

So said Savannah Andrade as York Valkyrie sailed into the quarter finals of the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup with a ruthless 80-6 thrashing of Featherstone Rovers.

Centre Tamzin Renouf needed a mere 47 seconds to open the scoring at York St John University Sports Park, with Eboni Partington, Emma Kershaw and Carrie Roberts all going on to bag doubles as Lindsay Anfield’s side ran riot.

Alex Stimpson, Sade Rihari, Lucy Eastwood, Kelsey Gentles, Rhiannion Marshall and trialist Kira Fitzpatrick all also found the whitewash for the Women’s Super League champions in the swirling wind.


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Having fallen behind to dual registration partners Sheffield Eagles in their first group stage match three weeks ago, Andrade was pleased with the Valkyrie's ruthless display.

“It was really good,” the second-rower enthused to The Press.

“We went out there and we’d worked on a few things from the last game against Sheffield that we wanted to improve on.

“I think that we’ve gone out there and done that today.

“I didn’t even know how quick we started. And then it just carried on rolling and rolling, which is obviously just amazing. 

“You can’t really ask for a better performance today.”

The sides will meet again in the competition’s quarter finals at the LNER Community Stadium on Sunday (12pm) in the first part of a double header with York Knights, who take on Wakefield Trinity later that afternoon (3pm).

York Press: Andrade was awarded the Player of the Match after playing starring role in the second row.Andrade was awarded the Player of the Match after playing starring role in the second row. (Image: Craig Hawkhead)

Having seen former Valkyrie youngster Chloe Smith bring Featherstone onto the scoreboard with just six minutes left to play, Andrade admitted it was gutting to have conceded so late on.

"It got a little bit scrappy, and they came back a little bit towards the end with that try, which obviously we didn't want," she reflected. "We wanted to kill them.

"We're absolutely gutted. You want to go out there with a clean scoresheet against them, and it's a shame we couldn't do it.

"But we've just got to keep focused and hopefully put in a performance against them like we did today."

Anfield’s side reached the semi final of last year’s Challenge Cup, where they were denied a historic trip to Wembley as Faye Gaskin’s last-gasp drop-goal sealed the narrowest of triumphs for eventual winners St Helens.

It was the only trophy to elude the Valkyrie last season as they claimed a second consecutive League Leaders’ Shield and first Grand Final - and they are determined to lift it this time around.

“We’re fired up and we’re ready to go,” Andrade admitted.

“This just shows what we’re hungry to achieve, even though we’re in the competition’s early stages. It just shows how much we all want it.”