LAURA Dangerfield has become the latest Samurai Judo Club player to gain the grade of third-level black belt after getting her final points at the club’s Women’s Open Championships.

Dangerfield entered the women’s high-grade section, for second-level black belts and above, and won the bronze.

The players elected to compete again for extra contests and the Samurai fighter defeated everybody, including beating another second-level black belt from London by maximum points, to gain the tenth win against the same grade or above by maximum points required for promotion.

Dangerfield finished by seeing off a third dan from Oxford in the final.

Still hungry for more judo, she then entered the open category and, despite giving a lot of weight away, she won all four contests here by maximums to win the gold.

The 25-year-old is the fifth female player from the club to reach that grade, following Kate Walker, Sarah Biles, Carol Leverton and Bev Price.

Samurai are very likely the only club in Britain ever to have five female players reach such a high grade.

She is also a qualified coach, referee, competition official and first aider, so she is very active at the club.

Share article Two years ago, Dangerfield was selected for the Great Britain senior squad, the group from which the Olympic squad is selected.

Unfortunately, since then a couple of injuries have hampered her progress, although with four international gold medals under her belt this year she is hopefully on the way back.

Becky Hobby, 16, powered into the final, and qualified for her black belt in the process, to make the final but had to settle for silver after defeat.

The event was a new competition for the club and attracted women from all over, including one from Holland and two from Northern Ireland.

Meanwhile, Darcie Hancocks is celebrating being selected for the Sainsbury's UK School Games in Manchester in September.

Hancocks is the fourth person from the club to be selected for the competition, following her older sister Charis, Sarah Biles and Tom Walker in previous years, all three of whom won medals at the event.

Like them, Darcie will represent England against the top players from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

However, she is the youngest player ever selected for the event, and will be up against much older players, so it should be an interesting competition for her.

Anyone who wants more details about Samurai can call 07761 122977 or visit www.samurai.org.uk