Sophie Whitworth has been involved in the rugby community from a young age, supporting her brother throughout his journey at Thornensians, Yorkshire, Sheffield and Sheffield Tigers. Her connection with the sport has given her a strong understanding of the values of teamwork, commitment, and community that rugby represents.

Since November 2023, she has been the Bar Supervisor at The Doghouse, where she has played a key role in both the day-to-day running of the bar and the wider social side of the club. Acting as the bridge between bar operations and event organisation, she has been instrumental in coordinating fundraising initiatives and ensuring successful promotion of events to the club committee and the local community.

Dearne Valley Chairman, Ant Hamilton, commented on the appointment “Sophie will bring her passion for rugby and her experience in hospitality and event management to what is an important role for the club. She has bags of energy, organisation, and has a strong community spirit which will help to strengthening the connection between the club, our members and the local community”.

He added “Having someone like Sophie, leading our events, social and post-game hospitality activities was an important next step for the club. We are proud of the culture we have at the club, but having a vibrant social calendar and good connections with the community is important for us to continue to sustain and grow what we have built.”

Sophie Whitworth commented on her appointment “I’ve been involved in Rugby for a large part of my life and know that the social side of the game is just as important as what happens out on the pitch. I wanted to get involved with the club to support its growth, and with my experience working behind the bar and organising events, the Events Manager role is just a perfect fit. I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in and helping to build a strong community off the field to support what goes off on it.”