YORK VALKYRIE coach Leon Pryce is confident that getting a number of key players back on board for next season will encourage more to follow suit.
Forward Evie Sexton is the latest member of last season’s squad to re-sign, in her case for two years.
That came after hooker and captain Sinead Peach, secondrow Savannah Andrade and hooker or winger Izzy Bibby committed to York.
“It’s vitally important that we get key personnel on board – especially players who are of that magnitude that add real value to the squad,” said Pryce.
“There has been a lot of work done in the background in the off-season to make sure we retain the best quality possible as well as attract players as well.
“When you have experienced key players who are part of the leadership group, re-signing them shows we are looking to progress and shows our intent. So getting these girls signed up can hopefully encourage others to do the same.”
It is not just experienced players Pryce is going to be working with during the new campaign, as eight will step up from the Academy into the first-team squad.
T’Leesha Frederick-Maynard and Charlotte McDaid both made four Super League appearances in 2025, while Jamaican Chevelle Clarke featured in the Women’s Nines Festival as a 17-year-old in May 2023, and came off then bench in the Super League win at Huddersfield that year. She has since gained first-team experience on dual-registration with Sheffield.
That trio will be joined by Bella Clarke, Ruby Ellis, Freya Moorhouse, Keira Hollin and Liv Turner, with all eight players signing two-year deals.
Ellis and Turner were on the bench in York’s win at Barrow in September, while Clarke, Moorhouse and Hollin are yet to experience any first-team action.