‘Best bits were the challenges. Mental challenges, physical challenges, overcoming them and keeping going for years. Fitness levels, balancing your life, you still have to work. It’s a lot of dedication’. - Sam Brook
In the 1990s and early 2000s, the women and girls game was growing at a pace with over 30 women’s team and the beginning of more girls participating in clubs; the performance pathway was developing with an U21 Academy, women coaches, match 0fficials and administrators. Yet if you look into the mid to late 2000 there was very little evidence of the early pioneers hard work. This section plots the progress and development of the sport in the early years
1980-2003
1984 - the beginnings of the Women’s League
In 1984 women’s teams were starting up in the heartlands of Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria.
Player pathways - County Games
County games between Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria became common in the late 1980s and 1990s.
1989 - beginnings of Internationals
In 1989, the first recorded GB representative team went over to France.
Women and Girls Growth
League and Cup competitions began to grow, boasting over 30 teams, including a team from London, Fulham Women, schoolgirls teams and some youth clubs.
Match Officials and Coaches
In 1984 Women began to take up officiating, Julie Fizpatrick from Leeds being the first quickly followed by Alison Smith from Widnes and Julia Lee from Hull.
1996 GB Women’s RL Tour to Australia
1996 was the inaugural women’s tour to Australia, by this time, the standard of club rugby league was high.
1998 GB Women’s RL Tour to New Zealand
Two years after their success Down Under, the Lionesses were on tour again, this time to New Zealand.
Development Opportunities
In 2000 the opportunity that an international World Series, which in 2022 was recognized as the first World Cup.
Women’s Rugby League World Series 2000
With a World Series (World Cup) coming to England, in 2000, the GB Committee understood that hosting a tournament had its own financial challenges.
Further Development
The 2002 tour of Australia saw the Lionesses play three test matches and three representative games.
2003 World Cup in New Zealand
Nine teams competed in the 2003 World Cup, most of them from the South Pacific islands including two teams from New Zealand.
