Heritage Number: 52
Debut: Vs York Valkyrie 09/04/2023
Honours -
Grand Final: Finalist 2023
Challenge Cup: Finalist 2023, 2024
Bethan Dainton made the switch from Rugby Union to Rugby League to join the Rhinos ahead of the 2023 season and made her Betfred Women's Super League debut in the opening match of the season against York in the back row.
A memorable first season for the forward saw her play 14 out of 17 games for head coach Lois Forsell, plus she added six tries in all competitions. Five of her tries came in the Challenge Cup as she helped Leeds become one of the first Women's sides to play at Wembley Stadium in the Final, plus she also started her first Grand Final in the defeat to York.
Although she missed the odd league game throughout the 2024 season, Dainton still amassed 15 appearances (14 of those were starts) and nine tries in her second season at the club. She was one of eight Rhinos players that played every game in that year's Challenge Cup competition, including the Final at Wembley, plus she scored her four tries in back to back games against Featherstone and Wigan.
Dainton previously played for Rugby Union side Harlequins, where she won the Premier 15 title in 2021 and became the first service woman to play for the Barbarians. She is a dual code international too, who won eight caps in Rugby Union for Wales in both the forwards and the backs, before representing Wales Rugby League in 2022. 2023 saw her awarded the captaincy of the national side as she led Wales out against France, but was unavailable for the test against England a week later.
To cap off her 2024 campaign, Dainton led Wales to their first ever Women's Rugby League World Cup as the side beat Ireland and Netherlands to qualify for 2026. She was also shortlisted in the IRL's Golden Boot award alongside international team mate Carys Marsh.
Away from Rugby, Dainton is a full time solider in the British Army, and has played both Rugby codes for the Army teams. In 2022, she scored two tries for the Army when they beat the Royal Navy at Twickenham and was awarded MVP of the International Defence Rugby competition in New Zealand.
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