Fourteen Members of our Women's First Team squad have been named in England Head Coach Stuart Barrow's National Performance Squad!
England Women Rugby League Head Coach, Stuart Barrow, has named two National Performance Squads ahead of the Senior squad meeting for their first training session later this month.
27 players from the Betfred Women’s Super League (BWSL) have been selected for the senior squad, including three emerging talents who have all progressed through England’s Diploma of Sporting Excellence (DiSE) pathway. Ameila Brown (Huddersfield Giants), Caitlin Casey (Leeds Rhinos) and Katie Mottershead (St Helens) have all been promoted from the Knights following impressive campaigns for their respective clubs in 2023.
Both Brown and Casey were nominated for the BWSL Young Player of the Year last season, with the Rhinos half back going on to win the award after a standout campaign during which she scored nine tries and kicked 14 goals.
Eight new names have been selected for the Knights, including 18-year-old Grace Banks who became a regular for Wigan Warriors in 2023. The young half back scored a sensational solo try against St Helens last season and is likely to be a key figure once again this year.
Banks is joined by former teammate, Beri Salihi, who made the move to St Helens at the end of last season. The 18-year-old scored a try in Wigan’s Betfred Challenge Cup semi-final defeat against Leeds Rhinos at Headingley last year, and is included for first time alongside teammates Amy Taylor, Lucie Sams and Phoebe Hook.
BWSL champions, York Valkyrie, have two inclusions in Jess Sharp and Liv Gale, while Ruby Enright is also called up after an electrifying debut season with the Rhinos which involved both a Grand Final and Challenge Cup Final appearance.
England Women Rugby League Head Coach, Stuart Barrow says:“I’m really pleased to be able to give some new players a chance in both the Knights and Senior England set-up this year, and it’s especially exciting given that so many of them have been involved in both the Knights and DiSE programmes.
“The size and depth of each squad proves just how much the Betfred Women’s Super League is continuing to improve and there are some fantastic young talents in this year’s Knights squad. I’m expecting these players to keep on developing and pushing for a place in the senior team as the season progresses.”
England Women Senior National Performance Squad
Caitlin Beevers (Leeds Rhinos), Jasmine Bell (York Valkyrie), Keara Bennett (Leeds Rhinos), Amelia Brown (Huddersfield Giants), Leah Burke (St Helens), Caitlin Casey (Leeds Rhinos), Jodie Cunningham (St Helens), Anna Davies (Wigan Warriors), Hollie-Mae Dodd (Canberra Raiders), Grace Field (Leeds Rhinos), Francesca Goldthorp (North Queensland Cowboys), Amy Hardcastle (Leeds Rhinos), Georgie Hetherington (York Valkyrie), Zoe Hornby, Shona Hoyle (Leeds Rhinos), Tara Jones, Katie Mottershead (St Helens), Lacey Owen, Eboni Partington, Sinead Peach, Tamzin Renouf (all York Valkyrie), Georgia Roche (Newcastle Knights), Emily Rudge (St Helens), Tara-Jane Stanley (York Valkyrie), Paige Travis, Vicky Whitfield (both St Helens), Liv Wood (York Valkyrie)
England Women Knights National Performance Squad
Emily Baggaley (Unattached), Grace Banks (Wigan Warriors), Chloe Billington (Featherstone Rovers), Mary Coleman (Wigan Warriors), Jasmine Cudjoe, Ruby Enright (both Leeds Rhinos), Liv Gale (York Valkyrie), Phoebe Hook (St Helens), Eva Hunter, Molly Jones (both Wigan Warriors), Emma Kershaw (York Valkyrie), Lucy Murray, Izzy Northorp (Leeds Rhinos), Beri Salihi, Lucie Sams (both St Helens), Jess Sharp (York Valkyrie), Georgia Sutherland, Erin Stott (both St Helens), Bella Sykes (Leeds Rhinos), Amy Taylor (St Helens), Danielle Waters (Featherstone Rovers), Olivia Whitehead (Leeds Rhinos), Megan Williams (St Helens)
