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The Woman of Steel (known as the Telegraph Woman of Steel for sponsorship reasons in 2019) is an award in English rugby league. It is awarded to the player of the year in the Women's Super League; the winner is determined by a poll of the players in the Women's Super League.

The award was inaugurated in 2018 and the winner will be announced as part of the Steve Prescott Man of Steel Awards in October each year.

2018

The inaugural nominees were Lois Forsell of Leeds Rhinos Women, Georgia Roche and Tara-Jane Stanley, both of Castleford Tigers Women. The award was won by Georgia Roche. In Castleford's Challenge Cup semi-final against York City Knights Roche had scored four tries and been named player of the match. All three nominees scored tries in the final of the Challenge Cup in which Forsell had captained Leeds Rhinos to victory.

2019

On 10 September 2019 the Rugby Football League announced that the 2019 award would be sponsored by The Daily Telegraph and be known as the Telegraph Woman of Steel. The nominees were Castleford's Kelsey Gentles, Emily Rudge of St Helens and Leeds Rhinos' Courtney Winfield-Hill. The award was won by Courtney Winfield-Hill. The nominees represented each of the top three teams in the Super League. Winfield-Hill had been named player of the match in the final of the Challenge Cup after scoring the winning try. The week after being named Woman of Steel, Winfield-Hill captained Leeds to victory in the Super League Grand Final.

2020

No award as the Women's Super League season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021

Five players were shortlisted for the award: Jodie Cunningham, Emily Rudge (both St Helens), Sinead Peach, Rhiannon Marshall (both York City Knights) and Fran Goldthorp (Leeds Rhinos). Jodie Cunningham was named as the winner of the award. In June, four of the contenders had featured in the Challenge Cup final in which St Helens had defeated York. Rudge captained the England team to victory over Wales in the mid-season international and was one of the try scorers along with Cunningham and Goldthorp, who was making her international debut. At the time the shortlist was announced the teams of all five players had qualified for the play-offs semi-finals.

2022

Six players were shortlisted for the award: Georgia Roche (Leeds Rhinos), Amy Hardcastle and Jodie Cunningham (both St Helens), Hollie-Mae Dodd, Sinead Peach, and Tara-Jane Stanley, (all three from York City Knights). Tara-Jane Stanley was announced as the winner of the award. In May, Cunningham was one of the scorers as St Helens had defeated Leeds to retain the Challenge Cup. York won the Nine's tournament and claimed their first League Leaders' Shield. They lost to Leeds in the Grand Final. All of the players apart from Sinead Peach were selected for the England squad at the 2021 World Cup, though she returned to the national team in 2023. At the World Cup Stanley was named in the Women's Team of the Tournament.

2023

The shortlist of six players was announced on 20 September 2023. The nominees were Keara Bennett (Leeds Rhinos), Jodie Cunningham, Shona Hoyle and Emily Rudge (all St Helens), together with Tara-Jane Stanley and Sinead Peach (both of York Valkyrie). In October 2023 Peach was named as the winner of the award. All six players were part of the England national team that faced France in April. In August, Hoyle was one of the try scorers as Cunningham captained St Helens to win a third successive Challenge Cup Final. Hookers Bennett and Peach faced each other in the Grand Final where a try and two goals from Stanley saw York win 16-6 over Leeds.

2024

In September 2024, three players were announced as the nominees for the 2024 award: Faye Gaskin (St Helens), Georgie Hetherington (York Valkyrie) and Lucy Murray (Leeds Rhinos). The award went to Georgie Hetherington who, in the absence of 2023 winner Sinead Peach, took over as hooker at York Valkyrie. In June, Hetherington scored on her England début against France and was the player of the match in the Super League Grand Final as York retained the title. Gaskin saw success with St Helens in 2024 as they took the League Leaders' Shield and retained the Challenge Cup, and Murray was named by Leeds Rhinos as the club's women's player of the year.

Winners

Winners by club

See also

• List of sports awards honoring women

References

1. ^ "The Telegraph to sponsor Woman of Steel Award". Rugby Football League. 10 September 2019. Archived from the original on 18 October 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
2. "Woman of Steel: Lois Forsell, Tara-Jane Stanley and Georgia Roche on shortlist". BBC Sport. 27 September 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
3. "First Woman of Steel shortlist announced". Total RL. 27 September 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
4. ^ "Ben Barba named Steve Prescott Man of Steel". Rugby Football League. 8 October 2018. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021.
5. "First ever Woman of Steel shortlist announced". Rugby Football League. 27 September 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
6. "Women's Challenge Cup: Leeds Rhinos women beat Castleford Tigers 20-14 to lift trophy". BBC Sport. 4 August 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
7. "Who will take Georgia's crown?". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3, 191. 16 September 2019. p. 27.
8. "Jackson Hastings: Salford Red Devils half-back wins 2019 Steve Prescott Man of Steel award". BBC Sport. 6 October 2019.
9. "Telegraph Woman of Steel - Shortlist". Rugby Football League. 12 September 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
10. "Women's Challenge Cup final: Castleford Tigers 10-16 Leeds Rhinos". BBC Sport. 27 July 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
11. "Women's Super League Grand Final: Leeds Rhinos 20-12 Castleford Tigers". BBC Sport. 11 October 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
12. Flynn, Leanne (24 September 2021). "Goldthorp shortlisted for 2021 Woman of Steel". Leeds Rhinos. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
13. "Sam Tomkins named 2021's Super League Man of Steel; Steve McNamara Coach of Year; Jack Welsby Young Player of Year". Sky Sports. 5 October 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
14. "St Helens outclass York to take Women's Challenge Cup with Woosey double". The Guardian. 5 June 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
15. "St Helens win Betfred Women's Challenge Cup". Rugby Football League. 5 June 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
16. "2021 Woman of Steel shortlist announced". Rugby Football League. 24 September 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
17. ^ "York's Tara Jane Stanley named 2022 Woman of Steel". rugbyleague.com. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
18. "Women's Challenge Cup final: St Helens 18-8 Leeds Rhinos". BBC Sport. 7 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
19. "Betfred Women's Super League Grand Final and Shield Final Round-Up". Rugby Football League. 20 September 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
20. "England Women World Cup squad revealed". Rugby Football League. 26 September 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
21. "Record six Valkyrie stars feature for England in 64-0 win over France". York RLFC. 29 April 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
22. "RLWC2021 Teams of the Tournament announced". Rugby League World Cup 2021. 15 November 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
23. "Woman of Steel 2023 nominees announced, including 2022 winner Tara-Jane Stanley". Sky Sports. 20 September 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
24. ^ "Bevan French: Wigan Warriors stand-off wins 2023 Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel award". BBC Sport. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
25. "England 64 0 France". European Rugby League. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
26. "Women's Challenge Cup final: Leeds Rhinos 8-22 St Helens - Saints win third title in first-ever Wembley final". BBC Sport. 12 August 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
27. "York Valkyrie 16 6 Leeds Rhinos". Rugby Football League. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
28. ^ "Women of Steel nominees revealed". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3449. 23 September 2024. p. 3.
29. ^ "Lewis, Dufty and Sneyd nominated for Man of Steel". BBC Sport. 2 October 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
30. "Super League: Mikey Lewis named Man of Steel and Georgie Hetherington Woman of Steel at 2024 season awards". Sky Sports. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
31. ^ "RL Awards Round-Up as Lewis claims Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel". Rugby Football League. 8 October 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
32. "France v England Women | Match Report". Rugby Football League. 29 June 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
33. "Women's Super League Grand Final: York beat St Helens to seal successive titles - radio & text". BBC Sport. 6 October 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
34. "Courtney Hill named Telegraph Woman of Steel". Rugby Football League. 17 October 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
35. "Cunningham named 2021 Woman of Steel". Rugby Football League. 4 October 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2023.

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