St Helens R.F.C. Women Explained

Clubname:St Helens Women
Nickname:The Saints
The Red V
Short Name:Saints
Founded:
(As Thatto Heath Crusaders)
Colours: White and red
Ground:Totally Wicked Stadium
Capacity:18,000
Coach:Matty Smith
Captain:Jodie Cunningham
League:RFL Women's Super League
Season:2023
Position:2nd
Current:2024 RFL Women's Super League
Cup1:League Championships
Cup1titles:5
Cup1years:2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2021
Cup2:Challenge Cups
Cup2titles:8
Cup2years:2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Cup3:World Club Challenges
Cup4:Other honours
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The rugby league club St Helens R.F.C. have operated a women's team since they took some women from Thatto Heath Crusaders, and other women's sides in 2017 ahead of the 2018 season.[1] They won four successive Challenge Cups from 2013 to 2016, and again from 2021–2024. The 2016 win formed part of their treble winning season.[2] The side won the 2021 Women's Challenge Cup after beating York City Knights, adding to the four cup titles won as Thatto Heath.[3] That season, they also completed the treble for the second time.

In 2024 the club announced it would become semi-professional, and start making match payments to players, becoming the third British side to do so after Leeds and York who started the season prior.[4]

Seasons

SeasonLeaguePlay-offsChallenge
Cup
DivisionPWDLFAPtsPos
201311100140410220[5] Won in Grand Final[6] W
2014Won in Grand FinalW
20151411035868422[7] Won in Grand FinalW
2016Won in Grand FinalW
201763031821246Lost in Preliminary FinalSF[8]
20181281331613017Lost in Semi FinalR2
201914121152213125Lost in Semi FinalSF
2020Super Leaguecolspan="10"
2021Super League1110016284220Won in Grand FinalW
2022Super League86023146312Lost in Semi FinalW
2023Super League1070336212614Lost in Semi FinalW

Honours

Grand Final

Winners (5): 2013,[9] 2014,[10] 2015,[11] 2016,[12] 2021

League Leader's Shield

Winners (2): 2016, 2021

Runners-up (2): 2017, 2019

Winners (8): 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Notes and References

  1. Web site: St Helens join forces with Thatto Heath Crusaders to enter Women's Super League. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220211/https://www.rugby-league.com/article/51435/st-helens-join-forces-with-thatto-heath-crusaders-to-enter-womens-super-league . 2022-02-11 . live.
  2. Web site: Bradford Bulls Women's Team . Bradford Bulls Foundation . 27 December 2023.
  3. Web site: St Helens outclass York to take Women's Challenge Cup with Woosey double. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220211/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jun/05/york-city-knights-st-helens-womens-rugby-league-challenge-cup-final-match-report . 2022-02-11 . live. TheGuardian.com. 5 June 2021.
  4. News: St Helens Women: Super League side to receive match payments from 2024 season onwards . 6 March 2024 . BBC Sport . 6 March 2024.
  5. Web site: Premier League Table . Women's Rugby league . https://web.archive.org/web/20140114070607/http://www.womensrugbyleague.co.uk/match_day/league_tables. 14 January 2014.
  6. Web site: News . Women's Rugby League . https://web.archive.org/web/20140114070618/http://www.womensrugbyleague.co.uk:80/news . 14 January 2014.
  7. Web site: Premier league table . Women's Super League . https://web.archive.org/web/20151113162016/http://www.womensrugbyleague.co.uk:80/match_day/league_tables . 13 November 2015.
  8. Web site: Bradford Bulls and Featherstone Rovers meet in Challenge Cup Final . 4 The Love Of Sport . 20 July 2017 . 26 April 2023.
  9. Web site: Roll of Honour . Rugby Football League . https://web.archive.org/web/20160704005100/http://www.rugby-league.com/leagues__competitions/womens_rugby_league/about/roll_of_honour . 4 July 2016.
  10. Web site: Thatto are just champion . Rugby-League.com . 6 October 2014 . 26 April 2023.
  11. Web site: Thatto Heath – Grand Final Champions!. 4 The Love Of Sport . 5 October 2015 . 25 April 2023.
  12. Web site: Leigh Miners and Thatto Heath take the honours at Grand Finals Day . 4 The Love Of Sport . 2 October 2016. 25 April 2023.