AFTER a turbulent 2022, Darlington Mowden Park Sharks will be hoping to make a positive start to the new year when they welcome Worcester Warriors Women to the Darlington Arena on Saturday afternoon, buoyed by six new signings.

This week has seen the arrival of six international players to bolster the Sharks' playing squad, with the arrival of the sextet resulting in a renewed sense of optimism around the club.

Hooker Elis Martin has arrived from Scotland, while a quintet of USA Eagles have flown over from across the pond.

Olivia Ortiz, Tess Fuery, Meya Bizer, Kathryn Treder and Rachel Ehrecke have all made the switch to the UK, signing for the remainder of the 2022-23 season.

Despite the Sharks’ recent struggles, the league remains a huge draw for international talent, with USA front row Treder describing it as “a dream to play in the Allianz Premier 15s.”

The Sharks will welcome a Worcester side who sit in seventh place in the Premier 15s table, with two wins from their opening five fixtures.

Jo Yapp’s side welcome back England winger Lydia Thompson this weekend, following last Saturday’s heavy defeat to league leaders Gloucester-Hartpury.

Sharks supporters will be buoyed by the club's previous form against this weekend’s opposition, with Darlington Mowden Park winning three of their four meetings at the Arena since 2017.

Speaking ahead of this afternoon's game, Sharks performance manager, Mark Luffman, said: “All of the USA girls have brought a great work ethic to training already, and I'm excited to see them all out on the field over the coming weeks and months.

"Their arrival has created a real competition for places in a number of positions and that strength in depth should stand us in good stead going into a nine-week block of fixtures before the Six Nations.”

Luffman hands debuts to four of his new arrivals this weekend, with Bizer and Feury starting at fly-half and full-back respectively.

Ortiz and Martin are named amongst the replacements, while Scarlett Thomas-Thompson returns from injury to make her first start of the season at tight-head prop.

Saturday's 3pm kick off has been made free of charge for all spectators, with a healthy crowd expected for the Sharks' first league game of 2023.


Darlington Mowden Park Sharks: Feury, Phan, Thomas-Roberts, Taylor, Kacirkova, Bizer, Broom, Herrick, Haynes, Thomas-Thompson, Wiesheu, Smith, Cowan, Hannay, Hazell.

Replacements: Martin, Hunter, Pratt, Churm, Brankin, Ortiz, Jennings, Ishida.