ENGLAND international centre Amy Hardcastle has re-joined Saints from Leeds Rhinos ahead of the 2025 season

The strong running three-quarter returns to the club where she enjoyed the most successful period of her Women’s Super League career.

Across her two-seasons playing under Derek Hardman at Saints, Hardcastle was part of the side that won a historic trophy treble in 2021.

And the 35-year-old England ace was on form to help win the Women’s Challenge Cup in 2022.

A move to Leeds Rhinos followed in 2023, ending her time with an astonishing record of 50 tries in 28 matches.

A trailblazing figure in the women’s game, the Halifax native began her rugby league journey with community club Siddal before taking time away from the sport to give birth to her daughter.

When Amy returned to action her team had disbanded, so she switched to Bradford Bulls where she played for 10 years, serving as captain, and was part of the team that won the treble in 2017 - the founding year of the Women’s Super League competition.

On the international stage, Hardcastle has excelled, earning 28 caps to date, and scoring 30 tries so far.

Her latest appearance for the national side was in this year’s autumn international against Wales where she started at centre. Furthermore, in 2020 Amy was the sole English representative selected in the NRL’s Women’s Team of the Decade.

Ready to be back at St.Helens and working under both Derek Hardman and Craig Richards, Hardcastle said: “I’m super excited! I’m not going to lie, I didn’t think this was on the cards but with Dek [Hardman] putting out there he was coming back to Saints, it was something I would always investigate.

“He’s an incredible person and when I look at my journey through rugby, in 2021 he changed my style of game and the success I had at Saints is a lot because of the hard work from Dek, and working one-to-one, getting to know me as a person, understanding me, and he definitely got the best out of me.

“I love Craig to bits; with England he was a great support as well and he also understood me as a person, and I’m looking forward to working under Craig too.

“It’s been a big two years at Leeds, my reasons for going were to be close to home and support my daughter.

“But I believe with my daughter being a little bit older now, and her understanding, it feels within myself right to be able to do things more for me instead of doing things for other people.

“I thank Leeds a lot for the last two years, I learned a lot about myself while I’ve been there. Some of the younger ones coming through at that club are incredible, and I wish Leeds all the best.

“I want to be able to still compete at the level that I do, I still want to be getting picked at international level… and I know that Craig and Dek will get the best out of me, which will keep me at that level. I'm pushing to get to that next World Cup.”

Joint St Helens Women’s Head Coach Craig Richards said: “It is absolutely fantastic to have Amy back in Red V.

She adds pace and try scoring ability to our back line, but more importantly she is a great person and teammate for our group and will add a lot to our squad.”

Derek Hardman, joint women’s Head Coach, added: “I’m very excited to be back working with Amy and to continue where we left off.”