The Women’s Nines Festival starts back up this morning at Victoria Park, Warrington for its second season. Last year the York Valkyrie saw victory over the Leeds Rhinos in the final with England and York full-back Tara Jane Stanley scoring the only points of the game to win 7-0.
This year the Women’s Nines Festival is FREE ENTRY, with educational workshops focusing on the women’s game and its different aspects. The ‘Coaching and development in Women & Girls Rugby League’ workshop will be hosted by National Women & Girls Development Manager and England captain Jodie Cunningham with delivery from Current England Women Assistant coach Derek Hardman, and Warrington Wolves Women & Girls Development Officer Ryan Cartledge.
Here are the squads, timings and team information ahead of the festival.
Group 1:
Warrington Wolves vs Huddersfield Giants – 10:30am
Oldham RLFC vs Leamington Royals – 10:55am
Huddersfield Giants vs Oldham RLFC – 11:20am
Leamington Royals vs Warrington Wolves – 11:45am
Huddersfield Giants vs Leamington Royals – 12:10pm
Warrington Wolves vs Oldham RLFC – 12:35pm
Huddersfield Giants: Pippa Curley, Lucy Burwood, Erin Stott, Becky Grady, Sienna McPherson, Frankie Townend, Ellie Thompson, Albany Coates, Hannah Goodard, Kelly Morgan, Emma Wilkinson, Molly Davidson, Amy Bennett, Abbie Millward, Ana De Silva.
Warrington Wolves: not yet announced
Oldham RLFC: not yet announced
Leamington Royals: Jo Groves, Sophie Henry, Helen Brown, Charley Foss, Siobhan Alison-Moore, Emma Spencer, Viv Wymer-Moor, Molly Cairns, Charlotte Clarke, Nabs Jaffri, Rachael Brough, Cath Lyon, Meg Willoughby, Amy Jones, Kim Langley, Kate Lawler, Flic Baldwin.
Group 1 starts the day early at 10:30am, with Warrington Wolves taking on fellow Women’s Super League Division 1 competitors Huddersfield Giants. The newly-established Oldham ‘Roughyeds’ are added into the competition for the first time. Leamington Town make Women’s Nines Festival debut becoming the first team to represent the Midlands in the tournament.
Group 2
Bradford Bulls vs Leeds Rhinos – 1:30pm
Salford Red Devils vs Cardiff Demons – 1:55pm
Leeds Rhinos vs Salford Red Devils – 2:20pm
Cardiff Demons vs Bradford Bulls – 2:45pm
Leeds Rhinos vs Cardiff Demons – 3:10pm
Salford Red Devils vs Bradford Bulls – 3:35pm
Leeds Rhinos: Sophie Robinson, Hanna Butcher, Amy Hardcastle, Dannielle Anderson, Kaiya Glenn, Keara Bennett, Caitlin Casey, Mayzi Carter, Sophie Nuttall, Sam Hulme, Jasmine Earnshaw-Cudjoe, Jenna Greening, Eloise Hayward, Georgia Hale, Ella Johnson, Beth Lockwood, Izzy Northrop, Ruby Enright.
Salford Red Devils: not announced yet
Cardiff Demons: Leanne Burnell, Eleri Michael, Kaitlin Hubbert, Rosie Carr, Amberley Ruck, Rhi Parker, Sara Jones, Charlie Mundy, Ffion Jones, Katie Carr, Ffion Jenkins, Jasmine Gibbons, Bethan Rickard, Sioned Young, Joeann McGuire, Zoe Heeley, Biba Chuta.
Bradford Bulls: not announced yet
Group 2 kicks off with a West Yorkshire derby with the Bradford Bulls taking on the Leeds Rhinos. Bradford recently suffered a 72-0 loss to Leeds in the Women’s Challenge Cup at Weetwood Sports Park. Leeds play in the top tier of the Women’s Rugby League system, WSL Division 1 – where they won the League last year – and were Women’s Rugby League Nines runner’s up last year. Both Bradford and Salford play in WSL Division 2, and the Cardiff Demons are the Women’s Super League South reigning champions.
Group 3
St Helens vs Featherstone Rovers – 10:30am
Newcastle Thunder vs Hull KR – 10:55am
Hull KR vs St Helens – 11:20am
Featherstone Rovers vs Newcastle Thunder – 11.45am
St Helens vs Newcastle Thunder – 12.10pm
Hull KR vs Featherstone Rovers – 12:35pm
Featherstone Rovers: Brogan Kennedy, Chloe Nash, Daney Jarrett, Dani Walters, Ellie Wainhouse, Emillie Holmes, Gabby Harrison, Holly Humphries, Jessica Lee, Katie Burlingham, Kaya-Jo Laing, Kirsty Higo, Lacey Sefton-Appleyard, Natasha Chamberlain, Nyah Morris, Nyomi Lindley, Olivia Grace, Shanelle Mannion, Shavon Craven.
Newcastle Thunder: not yet announced
Hull KR: not yet announced
St Helens: Eboni Partington, Naomi Williams, Zoe Harris, Faye Gaskin, Shona Hoyle, Tara Jones, Paige Travis, Darcy Stott, Pip Birchall, Alyx Bridge, Katie Mottershead, Amy Taylor, Megan Williams, Gracie Bradshaw, Danielle McGifford, Hannah Roberts, Phoebe Hook, Erin McDonald, Libbi Leppert, Grace Arrowsmith, Emma Lowe, Hollie Brussels
St Helens play Featherstone Rovers in the first game of group 3. The Saints have a prestigious record in women’s rugby league, doing the treble twice and are reigning champions of the Challenge Cup. Featherstone play in the WSL Division 2, and have also won the Challenge Cup in its inaugural season. Hull KR compete in the Women’s Championship in the tier below the WSL, and the Newcastle Thunder don’t currently play in the elite level pyramid.
Group 4
Wigan Warriors vs Leigh Leopards – 1:30pm
Castleford Tigers vs London Broncos – 1:55pm
Wigan Warriors vs Castleford Tigers – 2:20pm
London Broncos vs Leigh Leopards – 2:45pm
Wigan Warriors vs London Broncos 3:10pm
Leigh Leopards vs Castleford Tigers – 3:35pm
Leigh Leopards: not yet announced
Castleford Tigers: not yet announced
Wigan Warriors: Beri Salihi, Kaitlin Hilton, Anna Davies, Rebecca Greenfield, Grace Banks, Alison Burrows, Holly Speakman, Carys Marsh, Eva Hunter, Mary Coleman, Vicky Molyneux, Cerys Jones, Bethany Hayes, Molly Jones, Emma Davies, Kerrie Evans, Olivia Harborow, Gabi Leigh.
London Broncos: Courtney Treco, Katie Wallis, Lauren Mueller, Andrea Mena, Ellie Taylor, Ruth Mottershead, Comfort Llozobhie, Natalie Munro, Abi Gordon, Rebecca Jackson, Jess Ingram, Frankie Woolf.
Women’s Super League Division 1 side Wigan Warriors take on Division 2 teams Leigh Leopards and Castleford Tigers with Women’s Super League South runner’s up London Broncos in what looks like one of the more closely contested groups in the tournament.
Group 5
York Valkyrie vs Barrow Raiders – 10:30am
Workington Town vs Hull FC 10:55pm
Hull FC vs York Valkyrie – 11:20am
Barrow Raiders vs Workington Town – 11:45am
York Valkyrie vs Workington Town – 12:10pm
Barrow Raiders vs Hull FC – 12:35pm
York Valkyrie: Matilda Butler, Tara Jane Stanley, Georgie Hetherington Chevelle Clark, Liv Gale, Ellie Hendry, Ashleigh Hyde, Eva Izumi, Emma Kershaw, Bettie Lambert, Rhiannion Marshall, Daisy Sanderson, Jess Sharp, Chloe Smith, Georgia Taylor, Liv Whitehead, Liv Wood.
Barrow Raiders: Emily Stirzaker, Hannah Sherlock, Beth Lindsay, Kerrie-Ann Smith, Louise Clarke, Amy Sunderland, Emma Hutchinson, Meagan Byers, Jodie Morley, Cerys Rice, India Jackson, Laura Mellen.
Hull FC: Kerrie Dearing, Tia Hodgins, Keziah Masike, Ruby Magson, Lauren Sutton, Alisha Roper, Charlie Lawson, Isobel Smith, Abigail Harmston Turner, Abby Price, Nat Romano, Tilly Stuart, Alyx Worth, Kacey Sexton.
Workington Town: not yet announced.
Reigning Women’s Nines champions York Valkyrie get things started in Group 5 against Barrow Raiders, who they met in the Women’s Challenge Cup recently with York taking a 44-4 win over the Raiders at Craven Park. Hull FC compete in the Women’s Championship, the tournament below the Women’s Super League. Workington are a developing side who don’t yet compete in the women’s rugby league pyramid system, and were formed toward the back end of 2022.
The Women’s Nines Festival 2023 Group Stage will be held on the 14th May 2023 at Victoria Park, Knutsford Road, Warrington, WA4 1DG and entry is FREE.
Finals day will be held at AJ Bell Stadium, Salford, 1 Stadium Way, Eccles, Manchester M30 7EY.
Written by Ellie Indie
