Barrow Raiders can confirm that women’s first team player Claire Hutchinson will miss the entirety of the 2026 season after undergoing hamstring surgery.

Hutchinson suffered the injury during the club’s recent Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup defeat to York Valkyrie.

Tests confirmed that she had suffered a complete proximal hamstring tendon avulsion, resulting in all three hamstring tendons tearing off the bone.

Hutchinson has since had surgery to reattach them, and we’d like to thank all the medical personnel involved in both the diagnosis and procedure.

Whilst disappointed to lose a fantastic competitor like Claire, everyone at the club sends their best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.

“Obviously I’m gutted to be missing the rest of the season, especially after finally getting back playing alongside Emma [Hutchinson] again,” she said.

“But surgery went well, and now it’s all about focusing on recovery and rehab.

“You never think something like this is going to happen to you, so I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling a bit lost at the moment.

“It’s going to be a long road back and I’ll approach it the same way I do everything else – work hard and do everything I can to come back stronger.

“I really appreciate all the support from everyone at the club, and especially Graham Dawson for seeing me so quickly after the injury.

“He diagnosed it immediately, and his knowledge and support helped get me referred and seen to within the optimal time frame for surgery.

“Without that quick action, things could have looked very different for my long-term recovery, so I’m incredibly grateful.

“It’s going to be a tough few months, but I’ll still be around as much as I can supporting the girls however possible.”

Barrow Ladies head coach Amanda Wilkinson said: “Claire is part of the fixtures and fittings of the team and has played 80 minutes in pretty much every fixture in the last five years!

“She is an impact player in both attack and defence. Claire is hard-working and committed, and game days and training won’t be the same without her.

“On a personal note I’m gutted for Claire, especially because she was so excited to play along side her twin Emma after her return to the side this season.

“She will be truly missed from the squad.”

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