Three more players leave Rhyl 1879 women – Emily Bentley, Sade Benjamin and Loz Jones

Three players have left CPD Y Rhyl 1879 women’s team and signed for other North Wales clubs.

Striker Sade Benjamin and goalkeeper Lauren Jones have joined Tier 3 side NFA, while forward Emily Bentley has left the Lilywhites and switched her allegiance to Llandudno.

It has been a summer of departures for Rhyl so far with long-serving midfielder Becca Eagles joining Flint Town United.

Benjamin, 30, previously played for NFA in 2021-22 and 2022-23, scoring 50 first team goals in 46 games over two seasons and becoming the first player for the Rhyl-based team to reach that goals figure.

She joined Rhyl 1879 in 2023-24, netting 16 goals in 19 matches including 13 in her opening 10 outings.

Last season Benjamin was tried out in different positions and her goals tally dropped.

Jones joined Rhyl 1879 on formation in 2021-22 and was part of the team which won the North Wales Women’s League title as invincibles.

Although she made 57 appearances in total for the Lilywhites, she would have featured many more times had she not had to share the goalkeeping duties with Bethan Thomas when the club joined the Tier 2 Adran North.

EMILY BENTLEY

Bentley, 22, is listed as a Llandudno player on COMET this evening.

She resumed her playing career at Rhyl 1879 in January 2025 after a long spell out with a knee injury.
Bentley had been out of football since the end of 2022-23.

She made her senior debut for the former Rhyl FC as a 15-year-old in the 2018-19 season when the Lilywhites were in the Welsh Premier.

Having previously been with Prestatyn and Rhyl Hearts, Emily was promoted to senior standard.

At the same time as playing for Rhyl, the forward was also gaining vital experience at the Wrexham AFC /RCF Girls Centre of Excellence.

A few months later, Emily was offered a football scholarship at Burnley FC.

She embarked on a two-year training programme as part of Burnley’s elite academy and became a key player at the Ladies, Girls and Wildcats centre based at Burnley Belvedere.

Bentley joined newly-formed CPD Y Rhyl 1879 in 2021-22 and was a star in her first season, scoring 21 goals as the Lilywhites lifted the North Wales Women’s League title as undefeated invincibles.

The following season, the young striker signed for Genero Adran North club Connah’s Quay Nomads, where she made 18 first team appearances and also turned out for the under-19s. She also earned selection for Wales Colleges.

Injury sadly ended her 2022-23 campaign early and it was a long fight to get back her fitness before returning to action for Rhyl.

Now she makes a fresh start at Adran North side Llandudno.