ARMANI Sharrock has been named the new head coach of Warrington Wolves’ Women’s Rugby League team.
She is taking over from Lee Westwood, who stepped down at the end of the 2023 season after five years in charge.
Armani, 28, who was first team captain until forced to retire through injury this year, will oversee her first training sessions in November.
And the Scottish-born forward – who moved to Wigan when she was nine – is relishing the challenge.
She said: “I’m really excited as it’s a massive opportunity for me as a coach.”
“It was a natural progression having coached for a long time, been part of the club and being able to develop as a player and then having to retire through injury.”
Armani’s priority is to get the players back into training after all the uncertainty over who would be Westwood’s replacement.
She said: “It’s important to get the girls in, settle a few nerves and get them excited at playing for Warrington again, get them re-engaged and looking forward to pre-season.
“There is a massive opportunity to reset and grow the squad. There are a lot of young girls in and around Warrington that we can engage and bring into the game and it is a real opportunity to start afresh and build for the future of the club.”
First up for the new coach is a tough pre-season staring in November and breaking down barriers around what that training looks like.
Armani, who is a qualified referee as well as a coach, said: “We are going to test the girls but we are looking to build a really strong team ethos so they are ready to fight through the tough things the season will throw at us together.
“I’ve got to build that relationship between the new coach and the players and the girls have got to buy into how I see the philosophy and the culture of the club looks.
“But I am more than sure that with the girls we’ve got and the ones we are looking to bring in that they’ll buy into that system and I am more than committed to making that transition as smooth as possible for them.
“We didn’t have the most successful season last time around so we have got to build an environment that breeds success now and in seasons to come.
“But we also want to make it an environment where girls are challenged and they grow on and off the field and develop a culture where we work hard and do the tough stuff for each other.”
And for Armani, who started playing Rugby League with Wigan St Patricks as a teenager and went on to win Super League with the Wigan Warriors, youth development is a major part of hers and the club’s role.
She said: “We need to make Warrington a place where girls want to come and stay. We have got an exciting opportunity to be part of a great club which has a great outlook on developing youth.
“It’s the start of a new era for the women and the men and an exciting time for boys and girls who want to play rugby to get on board. Having come from a community club background, it is important that professional clubs engage with these clubs and players to build for the future.”
