Georgia Roche
{{Short description|England international rugby league footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
| name = Georgia Roche
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| fullname =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age |2000|9|3|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Batley, West Yorkshire England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height = {{convert|160|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight =
| retired =
| position = {{rlp|SO|SH|LF}}
| club1 = {{nowrap|Featherstone Rovers}}
| year1start = 2017
| year1end =
| appearances1 = 0
| tries1 = 0
| goals1 = 0
| fieldgoals1 = 0
| points1 = 0
| club2 = {{nowrap|Castleford Tigers}}
| year2start = 2018
| year2end = 21
| appearances2 = 0
| tries2 = 0
| goals2 = 0
| fieldgoals2 = 0
| points2 = 0
| club3 = Leeds Rhinos
| year3start = 2022
| year3end =
| appearances3 = 7
| tries3 = 5
| goals3 = 0
| fieldgoals3 = 0
| points3 = 20
| club4 = Newcastle Knights
| year4start = 2023
| year4end = present
| appearances4 = 8
| tries4 = 1
| goals4 = 0
| fieldgoals4 = 0
| points4 = 4
| teamA = England
| yearAstart = 2018
| yearAend = 23
| appearancesA = 10
| triesA = 6
| goalsA = 0
| fieldgoalsA = 0
| pointsA = 24
| updated = 7 October 2023
}}
Georgia Roche (born 3 September 2000){{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-league/stories/georgia-roche-making-of-woman-of-steel/ |title=Georgia Roche: the making of a Woman of Steel |date=16 September 2019 |accessdate=15 October 2019 |work=Daily Telegraph}} is an English professional rugby league footballer for the Newcastle Knights in the NRL Women's Premiership. She plays at either {{rlp|so|sh}} or {{rlp|lf}}. She previously played for the Leeds Rhinos in the Rugby Football League Women's Super League.
Career
Roche began her rugby league career playing for Drighlington ARLFC before moving to neighbouring amateur club Dewsbury Moor, during which time she represented Yorkshire in the 2018 Women's Rugby League Association County of Origin against Lancashire and scored Yorkshire's only points in a 10–4 defeat.{{cite web |url=http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2018/01/30/the-red-rose-takes-the-spoils-at-county-of-origin-7/ |title=The Red Rose takes the spoils at County of Origin 7 |last=Powell |first=Jennie |date=30 January 2018 |accessdate=9 October 2018}}{{cite news |url=https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/women-s-rl-thorny-issue-of-roses-rivalry-up-for-grabs-1-8972908 |title=Women's RL: Thorny issue of roses rivalry up for grabs |work=Yorkshire Evening Post |last=Smith |first=Peter |date=23 January 2018 |accessdate=9 October 2018}}
In 2017 Roche joined Featherstone Rovers Ladies, for the inaugural season of the Women's Super League. At the end of the season Featherstone qualified for the Grand Final and Roche scored all of Featherstone's points (1 try, 1 goal) in a 36–6 defeat to Bradford Bulls Women.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/41539126 |title=Bradford Bulls beat Featherstone Rovers to win Women's Super League Grand Final |work=BBC Sport |date=7 October 2017 |accessdate=9 October 2018}}
Over the winter Roche moved from Featherstone to Castleford and helped Castleford to the final of the 2018 RFL Women's Challenge Cup. In the final she scored one of Castleford's three tries in the 20–14 defeat to Leeds Rhinos Women.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/45071576 |title=Women's Challenge Cup: Leeds Rhinos women beat Castleford Tigers 20-14 to lift trophy |work=BBC Sport |date=4 August 2018 |accessdate=9 October 2018}}
At the 2018 Man of Steel Awards on 8 October 2018 Roche was named as the inaugural winner of the Woman of Steel award.{{cite news |url=https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/news/12196/11521741/castlefords-georgia-roche-wins-inaugural-woman-of-steel |title=Castleford's Georgia Roche wins inaugural Woman of Steel |work=Sky Sports |date=9 October 2018 |accessdate=9 October 2018}} In the same month Roche was one of the ten nominees for the 2018 BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year and was also shortlisted for the first women's Golden Boot Award.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/sports-personality/45834257 |title=BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year 2018: Top 10 revealed |date=15 October 2018 |work=BBC Sport}}{{cite news |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/elliott-whitehead-and-john-bateman-short-listed-for-golden-boot-20181030-p50cx7.html |title=Elliott Whitehead and John Bateman short-listed for Golden Boot |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=30 October 2018 |accessdate=31 October 2018}}
Roche made her international debut for England against France in Carcasonne on 27 October 2018, scoring two tries in England's 54–4 win.{{cite web |url=http://www.rugby-league.com/england/article/53884/report-france-women---england-women |title=Report: France Women 4-54 England Women |publisher=RFL |date=27 October 2018 |accessdate=27 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181027232041/http://www.rugby-league.com/england/article/53884/report-france-women---england-women|archive-date=27 October 2018}}
Following a 2019 domestic season in which Roche helped Castleford to the League Leaders Shield in the 2019 RFL Women's Super League she was selected to be part of the England squads for both the test series against the Papua New Guinea Orchids and the World 9s tournament in October and November 2019.{{cite news |url=https://www.totalrl.com/england-womens-squad-announced-for-2019-tour/ |title=England Women's squad announced for 2019 tour |work=Total RL |date=2 August 2019 |accessdate=15 October 2019}}
Roche played in the June 2021 Test Match for England against Wales.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rugby-league.com/article/35616/five-uncapped-players-in-england-women-squad-to-face-wales|title=Five uncapped players in England Women squad to face Wales|date=21 Jun 2021|website=Rugby-League.com|access-date=22 Jun 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/57618524|title=Women's international: England 60-0 Wales - 10 different try-scorers for hosts|last=Hafez|first=Shamoom|date=25 Jun 2021|website=BBC|access-date=26 Jun 2021}}
In 2023, she signed a 5-year contract with Australian side, Newcastle Knights in the NRL Women's Premiership.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2023/01/01/2023-nrlw-signings-tracker-latest-signings-news-details-contracts-signings-updates/|title=2023 NRLW Signings Tracker: Contract lengths confirmed for all clubs|date=5 June 2023|website=National Rugby League}} In round 3 of the 2023 NRLW season, she made her NRLW debut for the Knights against the Parramatta Eels.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newcastleknights.com.au/news/2023/08/05/nrlw-squad-update-eels-v-knights/|title=NRLW Squad Update: Eels v Knights|date=5 August 2023|website=Newcastle Knights}} She went on to play in the 2023 NRLW Grand Final, starting at five-eighth in the Knights' 24-18 victory.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrl.com/draw/womens-premiership/2023/grand-final/knights-v-titans/|title=Knights v Titans|website=National Rugby League}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.newcastleknights.com.au/teams/womens-premiership/newcastle-knights-women/georgia-roche/ Newcastle Knights profile]
{{Newcastle Knights women's squad}}
{{Newcastle Knights squad - 2023 NRLW premiers}}
{{England 2021 Women's Rugby League World Cup Squad}}
{{Woman of Steel Award}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roche, Georgia}}
Category:Castleford Tigers Women players
Category:England women's national rugby league team players
Category:English female rugby league players
Category:Featherstone Rovers Women players
Category:Leeds Rhinos Women players
Category:Newcastle Knights (NRLW) players
Category:Rugby league halfbacks
Category:Rugby league five-eighths