SAMURAI starlet Darcie Hancocks entered the club's history books as she reached the final at British National Championships for the fourth year in a row.

The 12-year-old has matched the impressive record of former member Kelly Edwards with a quartet of appearances and also surpassed club legend Debbie Read, who had reached three gold medal deciders.

She took gold by seeing off team-mate Leah Grosvenor as the Samurai pair dominated the under-44 kilogram weight category.

The Championships are the peak of the judo year and are held over two weekends at the impressive English Institute of Sport arena in Sheffield.

Players have been training towards this for months, but this year there was particular excitement in the Samurai camp because two of their best ever youngsters, Darcie and Leah, were both in the same weight section.

The Wyre Forest pair swept to the semi-finals, with Grosvenor enjoying a comfortable victory in the final four after scoring an early maximum point throw.

Hancocks was up against an old rival from Edinburgh and avenged her Scottish Open defeat with a narrow victory.

In the final, Grosvenor made a strong start and took an early lead after her opponent was penalised for passivity.

But Hancocks rallied well and took the lead with a high scoring throw.

Despite all of Grosvenor's attacks, her club mate defended well to take gold and leave the former with a well-deserved silver.

There was further success in the under-48kg section for Sian Bobrowska.

Bobrowska started very well with three maximum point wins against players from Liverpool, Tonbridge and Goole to come up against a Scottish player in the semi-final.

She edged out her opponent to reach her first ever British National final, where she was beaten by Osaka JC's Mollie Game.

In the under-52kg section, Bryony Griffiths finished fifth.

Meanwhile, Nathan Gallacher moved up an age band and was very light for even the lowest weight category in that age band.

He lost out to the eventual silver medallist in the quarter-finals and was the victim of some controversial refereeing. Hetty Tinsdale and Becky Hobby also did well.