RHIANNON ROBERTS AT THE BACK

Sunderland Women have signed yet another international star! Joining the Lasses in defence, Rhiannon is a centre-back who is sure to make a big impact on the team in the upcoming 25/26 season.

Rhiannon Roberts has signed a 2-year contract on Wearside. Roberts has played regularly for each of her previous clubs and shown great consistency: Blackburn Rovers (54 apps), Doncaster Rover Belles (71 apps), Liverpool (96 apps) and Betis (49 apps).

With almost 100 appearances for Liverpool over a five-year period, Rhiannon has been given a chance to gain an insight into how intense and skilled the WSL is. Last season, the Lasses managed to finish 7th in the WSL 2, so Rhiannon is here to make sure we get promoted in the upcoming season.

Even though she used to play for England U23’s, the now 34-year-old made her international debut with Wales in August 2015, then went onto being a part of the Wales Senior squad for the Women’s Euro’s 2017. Since then, Roberts has made 79 caps for Wales and during this time, has scored twice from defence.

Then, in June 2025, Roberts was named in the Wales Senior Squad for Euro 2025, and they recently played in the group stages against England, France and the Netherlands. However, they unfortunately got knocked out, alongside the Netherlands, which allowed England and France to go through.

Head Coach Mel Reay said: ‘She is a player who is aligned to our vision and brings an abundance of international and Super League experience’. Having this type of experience in the squad can help the team reach new levels and skills in the hopes of getting promoted to the Women’s Super League next season.