Sinead Peach (born 4 June 1998)[1] is a professional rugby league footballer who plays internationally for England and for York Valkyrie at domestic level. She is currently inactive, as she is pregnant with her first child.[2]
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| Born | 4 June 1998 Leeds, West Yorkshire, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Position | Hooker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Peach was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire and first played rugby league at junior level for Hunslet RLFC.[3]
Domestic career
editIn 2014, aged 16, Peach joined Featherstone Rovers. In 2017 Peach made the first of four consecutive Challenge Cup final appearances as Featherstone lost to Bradford.[3] The same season Peach was a member of the Featherstone squad that lost the Super League Grand Final, also to Bradford.[3]
The following season Peach moved from Featherstone to Castleford Tigers and in both 2018 and 2019 played on the losing side in Challenge Cup finals, both to Leeds Rhinos.[4][3] In 2019 Castleford won the League Leaders' Shield but lost the Grand Final to Leeds.[5]
With the 2020 season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Peach moved to the, then, York City Knights for 2021. York reached the Challenge Cup final but lost to St Helens. Peach scored York's only try in a 36–6 defeat.[6] At the end of the season, Peach was nominated for the Woman of Steel competition, losing out to Jodie Cunningham.[7]
2022 saw Peach made co-captain of the York team, alongside Katie Langan.[8] Under Peach and Langan's leadership, York won the League Leaders' Shield but lost the Grand Final to Leeds. Peach was nominated for Woman of Steel again but this time lost out to clubmate, Tara-Jane Stanley.[9]
At the end of 2022, Katie Langan retired and Peach was appointed sole captain of the newly named York Valkyrie.[8] York again won the League Leaders' Shield and went one better than 2022 by beating Leeds in the Grand Final.[10] 2023 was also a personal triumph for Peach as she received her third consecutive nomination for Woman of Steel and was named as Woman of Steel in October 2023.[11]
In October 2023 York Valkyrie became the first English club to offer players professional contracts (the club had previously offered travel and expenses) and Peach was one of the first three players to sign a contract.[12]
International career
editPeach was called up for international duties by England while at Featherstone and made her debut for England against France in October 2016[13] Further caps against France in 2017 and Papua New Guinea in 2019 followed. Peach was not selected for the 2021 World Cup, which was considered a surprise to many.[14][15] Peach was recalled to the England side for 2023 and played against France in April 2023.[16]
References
edit- ^ "9 Sinead Peach". York RLFC. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ "York Valkyrie captain Peach takes pregnancy break". BBC Sport. 24 April 2024. Archived from the original on 24 April 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d Baxter, Trevor (October 2023). "Peach perfect". Forty20. Vol. 13, no. 10. p. 5.
- ^ Smith, Peter (26 July 2019). "Women's Challenge Cup final: Castleford Tigers' Sinead Peach looking to make it third time lucky in final". Yorkshire Evening Post. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ Marsden, Lorraine (14 October 2019). "Leeds a thorn in Tigers' side again". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3, 195. p. 27.
- ^ "2021 Woman of Steel shortlist announced". www.rugby-league.com. RFL. 24 September 2021. Archived from the original on 16 May 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ "Saints Jodie Cunningham named Women's Super League Woman of Steel". St Helens Star. 4 October 2021. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ a b "Sinead Peach to captain York Valkyrie in 2023". www.rugby-league.com. RFL. 14 March 2023. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ "York City Knights' Tara-Jane Stanley named Woman of Steel for 2022". Sky Sports. 22 September 2022. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ "Anfield's York beat Leeds to end Grand Final wait". BBC Sport. 8 October 2023. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ "Wigan Warriors star Bevan French and York Valkyrie captain Sinead Peach among big winners at awards night". Yorkshire Post. 11 October 2023. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ "Women's Super League champions York Valkyrie make history as players sign professional contracts". Sky Sports. 27 October 2023. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ "England Women ease past France". RFL. 23 October 2016. Archived from the original on 27 October 2016.
- ^ "St Helens & Leeds dominate England World Cup squad". BBC Sport. 26 September 2022. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ Hodgson, Phil (3 October 2022). "England row following omission of Sinead Peach from World Cup squad". Total Rugby League. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ "England 64 v 0 France". europeanrugbyleague.com. European Rugby League. 30 April 2023. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.