Our Savannah now Grand Final winner
HUDDERSFIELD’S Savannah Andrade is enjoying the celebrations having helped Bradford Bulls win the first ever Women’s Super League Grand Final.
The 17-year-old rugby league winger from Dalton was in the side which followed up their previous Challenge Cup victory with a 36-6 success against Featherstone Rovers in the showpiece in Manchester.
It enabled Bradford to finish the season with a 100% record and Savannah – a former All Saints student who now attends New College – was part of the squad honoured in a Civic Reception, when they got the Keys to the City of Bradford.
The Huddersfield Giants fan and regular supporter of the claret and gold said of the final: “It was amazing – such a good experience.
“A lot of fans went over from the Bulls and we had fantastic support cheering us on, and that helped the team to record a very good win.
“It was the same when we won the Challenge Cup, we had fantastic support.”
Savannah didn’t make the scoresheet in the final, when tries came from captain Kirsty Moroney, Lois Forsell, Charlotte Booth, Claire Garner, Amy Hardcastle, Charlene Henegan and Haylie Hields.
Garner kicked four goals while Featherstone’s points came from a try and coversion from Georgia Roche.
Savannah took up the game at 14, playing for Queensbury St Joseph’s until August last year, when she had a trial for the Bulls and cemented a place at the Bradford club.
“I’m hoping this season will lead to a call-up for the England squad, but we will have to see,” added Savannah, whose brother Jordan was with Salford Red Devils and has twice carried out the Challenge Cup before Wembley finals when he was in the RAF.
“There have been 10 of my teammates called up, so I am hoping I can follow in their footsteps.”
Savannah – whose Bradford teammates include winger Emma Hartley from Almondbury – is now turning her attention to rugby union.
She has a trial lined up with Yorkshire Under 18s and is playing for West Park Leeds, winning the ‘Back of the Match’ award in her last appearance.
“I’m through to the final trial with Yorkshire on October 18 and it’s all been going really well,” she said.
“The people there are all really nice and welcoming and I’m enjoying being involved.” Savannah Andrade proudly holds aloft the trophy with her teammates after Bradford Bulls’ victory over Featherstone Rovers in Manchester and, right, she is seen with the silverware and smiling for photographers
After the showpiece final, which the Bulls led 16-6 at half time, before scoring 20 unanswered second-half points, skipper Moroney said:
“It was sloppy conditions so we didn’t play how we’ve been playing all season, but we still got the win, we were after.
“We set out to win some silverware but we didn’t think in our wildest dreams we would go unbeaten through the season.” WALES coach John Kear has included three uncapped players in his final 24-man squad for the World Cup.
Former Huddersfield Giants coach Kear has named 13 of the 17 players who featured in Wales’ qualifying victory over Italy last October, along with new faces Halifax threequarter Chester Butler, who is the grandson of former Wales international Colin Dixon, Salford’s new signing Gavin Bennion and Josh Ralph from Queensland Cup club Tweed Head Seagulls.
London Broncos prop Ben Evans returns for the first time since the last World Cup but his twin brother Rhys, the Warrington centre, is ruled out after failing to recover from a shoulder injury, and there are places for St Helens duo Regan Grace and Morgan Knowles, who were both shortlisted for the 2017 Super League young player of the year.
Other injury absentees are Ben Flower, Jake Emmitt, Lloyd White, Ollie Olds, Calvin Wellington, Daniel Brown and Anthony Walker while Gil Dudson, ex-Giant Larne Patrick and Dan Fleming are unavailable. Wales’ hopes of including Leeds’ Grand Final hero Stevie Ward were dashed due to a shoulder injury.
Kear said: “I’m really happy with the squad that I’ve got for the tournament.
“We’ve had withdrawals some because of injury and some for personal reasons but the lads who are going are showing a great deal of desire to represent their country.
“I’m pretty certain that they will perform at this World Cup on the biggest stage.”
Kear has a two-day training camp in North Wales before flying out to Brisbane next Tuesday for a further camp ahead of their opening game against Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby on October 28.
They will then travel to Townsville in North Queensland to take on Fiji on November 5, and play their final group match against Ireland in Perth a week later.
Courtney Davies, Steve Parry (both Gloucestershire All Golds), Chester Butler (Halifax), Danny Ansell (Hunslet), Sam Hopkins (Leigh), Michael Channing, Ben Evans, Dalton Grant, Elliot Kear, Rhys Williams (all London Broncos), Matty Barron (Newcastle Thunder), Joe Burke (Oldham), Gavin Bennion (Rochdale), Craig Kopczak (Salford, captain), Matty Fozard (Sheffield Eagles), Andrew Gay, Christiaan Roets (both South Wales Ironmen), Regan Grace, Morgan Knowles, Ben Morris (all St Helens), Rhodri Lloyd (Swinton), Josh Ralph (Tweed Head Seagulls), Phil Joseph (Workington), Matty Seamark (Wynnum Manly Seagulls).