York Valkyrie Rugby Team Celebrates Championship Win with City Parade

The Women’s Super League rugby champions conducted a celebratory tour of York aboard an open-top bus on Friday. The York Valkyrie squad showcased the Super League Trophy throughout the city in a yellow York Pullman vehicle, marking their triumph over St Helens. Following its route through the streets, the bus proceeded to the Mansion House for a civic reception. This victory marks the second consecutive year York Valkyrie has secured the championship. Savannah Andrade, recognized as the team’s player of the year, described the parade as “brilliant”. Teammate Georgie Hetherington stated that the team had “never expected” to achieve back-to-back trophies. She added, “It’s still pretty surreal. “I don’t think we ever expected to do as well as we did.” Hetherington also mentioned that the team faced significant challenges. She further explained, “We just went out there and played solely for each other and for the journey that we’re on together as a group. “To win the Grand Final with all the adversity we had gone through it just meant the world to us.” Clint Goodchild, the team’s chairman, commented that the parade was well-earned and had constituted a “pretty special night”. He remarked, “There’s an old saying – if you’re good enough, you’re old enough – and they’ve certainly shown that some of these girls who’ve come up and represented the club, they did as though they’ve been doing it for 20 years. “It was impressive.” Goodchild also indicated that the team is already setting its sights on securing a third Grand Final victory in 2025.