Woman of Steel

The inaugural nominees were Lois Forsell of Leeds Rhinos Women, Georgia Roche and Tara-Jane Stanley, both of Castleford Tigers Women.{{cite news |url=http://www.totalrl.com/first-woman-of-steel-shortlist-announced/ |title=First Woman of Steel shortlist announced |publisher=Total RL |date=27 September 2018 |access-date=27 September 2018}} The award was won by Georgia Roche.{{cite web |url=http://www.rugby-league.com/article/53698/ben-barba-named-steve-prescott-man-of-steel |title=Ben Barba named Steve Prescott Man of Steel |publisher=Rugby Football League |date=8 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206000813/http://www.rugby-league.com/article/53698/ben-barba-named-steve-prescott-man-of-steel |archive-date=6 December 2021}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.rugby-league.com/article/34652/first-ever-woman-of-steel-shortlist-announced |title=First ever Woman of Steel shortlist announced |publisher=Rugby Football League |date=27 September 2018 |access-date=16 May 2023}}{{cite web|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 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=4 August 2018 |access-date=16 May 2023}}

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.{{cite web |url=https://www.rugby-league.com/article/55679/the-telegraph-to-sponsor-woman-of-steel-award |title=The Telegraph to sponsor Woman of Steel Award |date=10 September 2019 |access-date=11 September 2019 |publisher=Rugby Football League |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211018125758/https://www.rugby-league.com/article/55679/the-telegraph-to-sponsor-woman-of-steel-award |archive-date=18 October 2021}}

The nominees were Castleford's Kelsey Gentles, Emily Rudge of St Helens and Leeds Rhinos' Courtney Winfield-Hill.{{cite news |title=Who will take Georgia's crown? |work=Rugby Leaguer & League Express |page=27 |issue=3,191 |date=16 September 2019}} The award was won by Courtney Winfield-Hill.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/49952705 |title=Jackson Hastings: Salford Red Devils half-back wins 2019 Steve Prescott Man of Steel award |work=BBC Sport |date=6 October 2019}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.rugby-league.com/article/22487/telegraph-woman-of-steel---shortlist |title=Telegraph Woman of Steel - Shortlist |publisher=Rugby Football League |date=12 September 2019 |access-date=16 May 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/49138325 |title=Women's Challenge Cup final: Castleford Tigers 10-16 Leeds Rhinos |publisher=BBC Sport |date=27 July 2019 |access-date=16 May 2023}} The week after being named Woman of Steel, Winfield-Hill captained Leeds to victory in the Super League Grand Final.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/50000534 |title=Women's Super League Grand Final: Leeds Rhinos 20-12 Castleford Tigers |publisher=BBC Sport |date=11 October 2019 |access-date=16 May 2023}}

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

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).{{cite web |last1=Flynn |first1=Leanne |title=Goldthorp shortlisted for 2021 Woman of Steel |url=https://www.therhinos.co.uk/2021/09/24/goldthorp-shortlisted-for-2021-woman-of-steel/ |website=Leeds Rhinos |access-date=24 September 2021 |date=24 September 2021}} Jodie Cunningham was named as the winner of the award.{{cite web |title=Sam Tomkins named 2021's Super League Man of Steel; Steve McNamara Coach of Year; Jack Welsby Young Player of Year |url=https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/news/12196/12425886/sam-tomkins-named-2021s-super-league-man-of-steel-steve-mcnamara-coach-of-year-jack-welsby-young-player-of-year |website=Sky Sports |access-date=6 October 2021 |date=5 October 2021}} In June, four of the contenders had featured in the Challenge Cup final in which St Helens had defeated York.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jun/05/york-city-knights-st-helens-womens-rugby-league-challenge-cup-final-match-report |title=St Helens outclass York to take Women’s Challenge Cup with Woosey double |newspaper=The Guardian |date=5 June 2021 |access-date=16 May 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.rugby-league.com/article/35520/st-helens-win-betfred-womens-challenge-cup |title=St Helens win Betfred Women's Challenge Cup |publisher=Rugby Football League |date=5 June 2021 |access-date=16 May 2023}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.rugby-league.com/article/36069/2021-woman-of-steel-shortlist-announced- |title=2021 Woman of Steel shortlist announced |publisher=Rugby Football League |date=24 September 2021 |access-date=16 May 2023}}

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.{{cite web|title=York's Tara Jane Stanley named 2022 Woman of Steel |url=https://www.rugby-league.com/article/60964/yorks-tara-jane-stanley-is-named-woman-of-steel |website=rugbyleague.com |access-date=22 September 2022}} In May, Cunningham was one of the scorers as St Helens had defeated Leeds to retain the Challenge Cup.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/61351582 |title=Women's Challenge Cup final: St Helens 18-8 Leeds Rhinos |publisher=BBC Sport |date=7 May 2022 |access-date=16 May 2023}} York won the Nine's tournament and claimed their first League Leaders' Shield. They lost to Leeds in the Grand Final.{{cite web|url=https://www.rugby-league.com/article/60942/betfred-womens-super-league-grand-final-and-shield-final-round-up |title=Betfred Women's Super League Grand Final and Shield Final Round-Up |publisher=Rugby Football League |date=20 September 2022 |access-date=16 May 2023}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.rugby-league.com/article/60985/england-women-world-cup-squad-revealed|title=England Women World Cup squad revealed |publisher=Rugby Football League |date=26 September 2022 |access-date=16 May 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.yorkrlfc.com/post/record-six-valkyrie-stars-feature-for-england-in-64-0-win-over-france |title=Record six Valkyrie stars feature for England in 64-0 win over France |website=York RLFC |date=29 April 2023 |access-date=16 May 2023}} At the World Cup Stanley was named in the Women's Team of the Tournament.{{cite web|url=https://www.rlwc2021.com/article/954/rlwc2021-teams-of-the-tournament-announced |title=RLWC2021 Teams of the Tournament announced |website=Rugby League World Cup 2021 |date=15 November 2022 |access-date=16 May 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).{{cite news |title=Woman of Steel 2023 nominees announced, including 2022 winner Tara-Jane Stanley |url=https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/news/12196/12965646/woman-of-steel-2023-nominees-announced-including-2022-winner-tara-jane-stanley |access-date=22 September 2023 |work=Sky Sports |date=20 September 2023}} In October 2023 Peach was named as the winner of the award.{{cite web |title=Bevan French: Wigan Warriors stand-off wins 2023 Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel award |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/67070647 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=11 October 2023 |date=10 October 2023}} All six players were part of the England national team that faced France in April.{{cite web|url=https://europeanrugbyleague.com/fixtures/1188 |title= England 64 0 France |publisher=European Rugby League |access-date=11 October 2023}} In August, Hoyle was one of the try scorers as Cunningham captained St Helens to win a third successive Challenge Cup Final.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/66463498 |title=Women's Challenge Cup final: Leeds Rhinos 8-22 St Helens - Saints win third title in first-ever Wembley final |publisher=BBC Sport |date=12 August 2023 |access-date=11 October 2023}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.rugby-league.com/match-centre/match-report/2266095 |title=York Valkyrie 16 6 Leeds Rhinos |publisher=Rugby Football League |access-date=11 October 2023}}

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).{{cite news |title=Women of Steel nominees revealed |work=Rugby Leaguer & League Express |p=3 |issue=3449 |date=23 September 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/articles/c5y5gy9ggxdo |title=Lewis, Dufty and Sneyd nominated for Man of Steel |work=BBC Sport |date=2 October 2024 |access-date=9 October 2024}} The award went to Georgie Hetherington who, in the absence of 2023 winner Sinead Peach, took over as hooker at York Valkyrie.{{cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/news/12196/13230547/super-league-mikey-lewis-named-man-of-steel-and-georgie-hetherington-woman-of-steel-at-2024-season-awards|title=Super League: Mikey Lewis named Man of Steel and Georgie Hetherington Woman of Steel at 2024 season awards|publisher=Sky Sports|accessdate=9 October 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.rugby-league.com/article/63184/rl-awards-round-up-as-lewis-claims-steve-prescott-mbe-man-of-steel |title=RL Awards Round-Up as Lewis claims Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel |publisher=Rugby Football League |date=8 October 2024 |access-date=9 October 2024}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.rugby-league.com/article/62908/france-v-england-women-%7C-match-report |title=France v England Women {{!}} Match Report |publisher=Rugby Football League |date=29 June 2024 |access-date=9 October 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/live/cgmgz2r2endt |title=Women's Super League Grand Final: York beat St Helens to seal successive titles - radio & text |work=BBC Sport |date=6 October 2024 |access-date=9 October 2024}} 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.

{{Portal|Sports}}

• List of sports awards honoring women

{{reflist}}

{{Woman of Steel Award}}

{{RFL Women's Super League}}

Category:Women's rugby league in England

Category:2018 establishments in the United Kingdom

Category:Rugby league trophies and awards

Category:Sports awards honoring women