LEEDS RHINOS star Amy Hardcastle has returned to St Helens.
One of the best in her position in women’s rugby league, Hardcastle returns to the club where she enjoyed the most successful period of her Women’s Super League career.
Originally joining the Saints ahead of the 2020 season, it was not until 2021 that Amy would play in the Red V due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, across her two-season playing spell under Derek Hardman, Hardcastle was part of the Saints Women’s side that won a historic trophy treble in 2021, and the Women’s Challenge Cup in 2022.
A move to Leeds Rhinos followed in 2023, ending her time with an astonishing record in the Red V of 50 tries in 28 matches.
A trailblazing figure in the women’s game, the 35-year-old Halifax native began her rugby league journey with community club Siddal before taking time away from the sport to give birth to her daughter. When Amy chose to return to action her team had sadly disbanded, so a move to Bradford Bulls materialized where she played for ten years, even serving as captain, and was part of the team that won the treble in 2017 – the founding year of the Women’s Super League competition.
On the international stage, Hardcastle has excelled, earning 28 caps to date, and scoring 30 tries so far. Her latest appearance for the national side was in this year’s autumn international against Wales where she started at centre. Furthermore, in 2020 Amy was the sole English representative selected in the NRL’s Women’s Team of the Decade.
Ready to be back at St.Helens and working under both Derek Hardman and Craig Richards, an excited Amy Hardcastle told saintsrlfc.com: “I’m super excited! I’m not going to lie, I didn’t think this was on the cards but with Dek [Hardman] putting out there he was coming back to Saints, it was something I would always investigate.
“He’s an incredible person and when I look at my journey through rugby, in 2021 he changed my style of game and the success I had at Saints is a lot because of the hard work from Dek, and working one-to-one, getting to know me as a person, understanding me, and he definitely got the best out of me.
“I love Craig to bits; with England he was a great support as well and he also understood me as a person, and I’m looking forward to working under Craig too.”
Thankful for her time with Leeds, Hardcastle wishes the Rhinos well and discusses why this return to St Helens is the right fit for her at this stage of her career.
“It’s been a big two years at Leeds, my reasons for going were to be close to home and support my daughter.
“But I believe with my daughter being a little bit older now, and her understanding, it feels within myself right to be able to do things more for me instead of doing things for other people.
“I thank Leeds a lot for the last two years, I learned a lot about myself while I’ve been there. Some of the younger ones coming through at that club are incredible, and I wish Leeds all the best.
“I want to be able to still compete at the level that I do, I still want to be getting picked at international level… and I know that Craig and Dek will get the best out of me, which will keep me at that level. I’m pushing to get to that next World Cup.”
Joint St Helens Women’s Head Coach Craig Richards commented on the news saying: “It is absolutely fantastic to have Amy back in Red V, she adds pace and try scoring ability to our back line, but more importantly she is a great person and teammate for our group and will add a lot to our squad.”
Derek Hardman, Joint St Helens Women’s Head Coach, added: “I’m very excited to be back working with Amy and to continue where we left off.”
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