Sinead Peach, the 2023 Woman of Steel, Aims to Repeat York Valkyrie’s Grand Final Success
Manchester, October 2023 – When Sinead Peach was crowned the 2023 Woman of Steel last October, she was surrounded by a table filled with her friends and family, a testament to the tight-knit support that has fueled her successful rugby league career.
The 25-year-old York Valkyrie captain, who helped her club clinch their maiden Grand Final win last year, is now setting her sights on repeating that feat as the new Women’s Super League campaign kicks off. Peach’s recognition as the best women’s player in the British game marked the realization of a childhood dream for the talented hooker from Hunslet in South Leeds.
“I thought to myself before the awards evening ‘if I am the Woman of Steel, then I want everyone to be there’, so they all came,” Peach told Love Rugby League. “It was a really special occasion and, when I look back at when I was a young girl, it was something I could only have dreamed of.”
Peach’s success has not gone unnoticed down under, as she watched her English contemporaries Georgia Roche, Francesca Goldthorp, and Hollie-Mae Dodd make the move to the NRLW in 2023. While Peach has not yet received any offers from NRLW clubs, she is not ruling out the prospect of plying her trade on the other side of the world one day.
“I haven’t had a message from any NRLW clubs yet, but if I got approached then obviously I would have that conversation,” said Peach, who grew up supporting League 1 outfit Hunslet. “But I’ve got a mortgage and a house with my partner, plus a really good job as an office manager at a car dealership in Leeds. Work are really supportive of me with my rugby league commitments because they know how much I love it and how much it’s growing as a sport.”
As the reigning Super League champions, York Valkyrie and Peach are hungry for more silverware.
“When you speak to all the girls and coaching staff, you set out to win more trophies but it’s a long old season,” Peach said. “That’s the plan again this year and I’m really excited for the season ahead.”
With the support of her family, her club, and the growing recognition of women’s rugby league, Sinead Peach is poised to continue her rise as a leading figure in the sport.
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