SAMURAI starlet Darcie Hancocks was at her imperious best at the Eindhoven Open in Holland, as she saw off the best fighters in Holland to storm to gold.

Laura Dangerfield, who led the four-player Samurai Judo Club contingent at the event, also took gold, and there were creditable seventh places for brothers Matt and James Hemer.

It is the third year that Hancocks has competed at this event, rated one of the strongest in Holland.

Hancocks earned bronze in 2012 and silver last year but she demonstrated her maturity with smooth progress to the final.

Up against a much stronger Dutch opponent, the Samurai played a superb tactical fight, out-gripping her opponent and picking her off with some excellent throws without ever conceding herself, to take the gold.

Dangerfield had four contests and won all four comfortably, moving up from the silver she won last year at this event to secure the gold.

The Redditch resident always looked in control and her groundwork in particular was very strong. Currently the club’s most successful senior female player, the 24 year-old has also just qualified for the British Senior Trials as one of the country’s top female players.

Matt Hemer won three contests out of five to take seventh place, with younger brother James, who recently took gold at the British National Championships for the second consecutive year, winning two out of four to also take seventh.

Meanwhile, some more Samurai players were at the Welsh Open Championships, where they took three silver medals.

Leading the charge was Bryony Griffiths, who had a series of good wins to put herself into the final out of the ten players.

In the final, she was up against a player from Tonbridge in Kent.

Griffiths looked to have every chance of winning, but was caught on the ground and had to settle for silver.

Veterans were taking part in the masters section, with Rob Alloway and Paul Moss both taking silver medals.

Alloway looked on course for the gold when he got caught with a counter throw for maximum points against the run of play, while Moss had six contests but lost out to a more powerful player in the final of his category.