Leeds Rhinos celebrate International Women’s Day

On International Women's Day, Leeds Rhinos are celebrating the achievements of their female players and staff as their business continues to grow and diversify.

The famous Leeds Rhinos brand is now associated with more than just men's Rugby League, with the club now incorporating a successful Women's and Netball team and its official charity Leeds Rhinos Foundation also running the Leeds Rhinos Wheelchair, Physical Disability and Learning Disability teams. 

"Our ambition is to make our club even more inclusive," said Sue Ward, who became the club's first ever female on the board of directors 2020.  "Our organisation has changed massively in the last five years and  this has meant more people are able to enjoy playing our sport and representing the Rhinos.

"We have so many great female role models at the club and it's really important for young people to see this as they can see a path for themselves to hold senior roles or to compete at the highest level in their sport

"I was so proud to see the Leeds Rhinos Women's team play in their Grand Final at Headingley last year.  They have enjoyed phenomenal success in their short history and I am excited to see how the women's game will grow.  I am sure the upcoming Women's World Cup which kicks off in our city will have a big impact and be an inspiration to aspiring young players."

The Women's team are coached by former player Lois Forsell who said International Women's Day for her is about celebrating the achievements of women.

"I think it is important to recognise the successes of women and those who have paved the way for future generations," she said.  "The women's game is still growing and the players who are doing the hard work now, combining their full time jobs with training on a night, are doing so much for the game and their achievements will hopefully open the door for others see a bright future for women's rugby league."

The theme for International Women's Day this year is ‘Break The Bias' and Rhinos Netball's goal attack, Rhea Dixon, thinks a lot of work can be done in this area in sport.

"I think it is important to keep fighting for equality and professionalism across women's sports. We're doing a great job in getting better resources and exposure, but there's still a huge gap between men and women's sports. We can break the bias by continuing to showcase the skill, strength, fitness, flair and everything else that female athletes work so hard for."

Behind the scenes Leeds Rhinos have 32 female members of staff at the club, with roles on the coaching staff, marketing, finance and operations.

Sian Jones, head of customer experience, who this year celebrates her 18^th year with the club, said : "One of the most rewarding parts of my job in the last five years it is to see the growth of our new teams and what they have brought to the club.  Our supporters have been phenomenal in getting behind all our teams and have embraced our One Club vision.  For myself, International Women's Day is about recognising the contributions and achievements that my fellow ladies make every day to society.  We have some amazing female role models at our club who are inspiring more women to get involved with sport either playing, coaching or even the business side."

Jodie Boyd-Ward who is the only female player on the Leeds Rhinos Wheelchair's team says her team is a great example of equality, but says more work needs to be done to attract more women to the game.

"If we use the Wheelchair team as an example - everybody is equal - it doesn't matter your gender or how you identify you all play on the same team," said the Welsh international.  "For us to progress this further though I think we need to have more meaningful conversations about how we can break the bias in sport.  There are a lot of misconceptions around women's sport and people are often shocked to hear that I play on a mixed team in a sport that is so physical. 

"There are around six players who play in Super League Wheelchair Rugby League and only four international players so there is more to be done to attract new female players to the game.  We can do this by starting these conversations at grassroots level and women and men using their platforms to challenge biases and to celebrate female athletes."

Play Women’s Rugby League – CLICK HERE to find your local club in Leeds

Play Wheelchair Rugby – for more information about Leeds Rhinos Wheelchair Rugby League, or to find out how to get involved with the team, please email disability@leedsrhinosfoundation.org. 

Play Netball – CLICK HERE to find clubs in Yorkshire