| Jodie Cunningham | |
| Birth Date: | 5 December 1991 |
| Birth Place: | Warrington, Cheshire, England |
| Retired: | no |
| Position: | , |
| Year1start: | 2018 |
| Year1end: | present |
| Appearances1: | 53 |
| Tries1: | 30 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Fieldgoals1: | 0 |
| Points1: | 120 |
| Teama: | England |
| Yearastart: | 2009 |
| Appearancesa: | 32 |
| Triesa: | 10 |
| Goalsa: | 0 |
| Fieldgoalsa: | 0 |
| Pointsa: | 40 |
| Source: | [1] |
| Updated: | 11 March 2024 |
Jodie Cunningham (born 5 December 1991) is an English rugby league footballer who plays as a or at international level for England and domestically for St Helens in the Women's Super League.
Cunningham started paying rugby while a pupil at Cardinal Newman Catholic High School, Warrington and was selected to play for England while still in the sixth-form and playing for Warrington Ladies RC.[2] [3] In 2011, Cunningham was in the Warrington team that won the Championship Final of the Women's Rugby League Conference.[4]
While a student at Leeds University,[5] Cunningham played in the 2013 Women's Rugby League World Cup and joined Thatto Heath Crusaders and was a member of the team that won the Challenge Cup in four successive seasons from 2013 to 2016.[6] [7]
Cunningham was vice-captain of the England team in the 2017 Women's Rugby League World Cup and in March 2018 Cunningham became a member of the newly-formed St Helens women's team, though she missed most of the 2018 season due to rehabilitation after surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered during the 2017 season.[8] [9]
For the 2019 season, Cunningham was appointed co-captain of the St Helens side alongside Tara Jones[6] With the 2020 season cancelled, 2021 saw Cunningham appointed captain of the team and she led the side to the first treble since the creation of the Women's Super League.[10] Cunningham was also named 2021 Woman of Steel.[11]
Cunningham worked as community engagement lead for the organisers of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup as well as being an ambassador for the women's tournament.[12]
Cunningham was appointed as the RFL's National Women’s and Girls’ Development Manager in November 2021.[13] In January 2024 she left that post to take up a new post with St Helens as head of women’s pathways and performance.[14]
2022 saw St Helens retain the Challenge Cup with Cunningham scoring a try in the final against Leeds Rhinos.[15] In the Super League Cunningham captained St Helens to second place in the league but the team were unable to repeat their 2021 successes losing in the play-off semi-final to eventual Grand Final winners Leeds.[16]
In April 2023, Cunningham was named as captain of the England team, succeeding St Helens teammate Emily Rudge.[17]