HAVING impressed coach Amanda Wilkinson with her performances against Huddersfield and York before the split, Barrow’s Darcy Southward has been promoted to the first-team squad on a permanent basis.
Southward’s elevation to Super League is a real success story for the Raiders’ pathway structure. Having started out with Egremont Rangers, Southward was selected as an Under 16 Pathway to Performance player and went on to impress with her skill, flair and work ethic.
That led to her being selected for the North West Girls Talent Hub as well as England RL’s Diploma in Sporting Excellence programme, which she remains a part of.
Promotion to the Barrow Under 19 set-up followed, with stand-out performances earning her a Super League debut in June.
“Being given the opportunity to step up means a lot to me,” said Southward. “I’m looking forward to learning from the other players.
“I’m ready to make the step up and be in a more pressurised and performance-based environment with the Super League team, and feel that being on the DiSE programme has set me up for it.”
Wilkinson added: “I’m really excited to be signing Darcy. She has shown so much talent and has a great work ethic.
“It’s absolutely fantastic to see our pathways working, and that they have supported Darcy to realise her full potential of playing Rugby League at the very top level.”