Women's State of Origin explained

Current Season:2024 Women's State of Origin
Women's State of Origin
Sport:Rugby league
Founded:2018
Inaugural:1999
Teams:2
Country:Australia
Gov Body:ARLC
Championtag:Shield Holders
Champion: Queensland
Season:2024
Website:NRL website
Tv:Nine Network
Fox Sports
Related Comps:NRL Women's Premiership
Related Comps2:NSWRL Women's Premiership
Related Comps3:QRL Women's Premiership

The Women's State of Origin is an annual rugby league fixture between two Australian state representative women's sides, the New South Wales Blues and the Queensland Maroons.[1]

First played in 1999 as the Women's Interstate Challenge, the game was rebranded as State of Origin for the 2018 season.[2] [3] Queensland won the first game in 1999 and were unbeaten for 17 years until New South Wales won for the first time in 2016.[4] [5]

History

Women's Interstate Challenge (1999–2017)

Despite women's rugby league first being played in Australia in 1921, the first official game between Queensland and New South Wales was not held until 1999. The two teams met at Brisbane's ANZ Stadium with Queensland winning 16–6.[6]

Accurate records were not kept in the early years of the Interstate Challenge by either the QRL or the NSWRL, with many player records and game information still unknown. For many years, the women's teams were run by their own governing bodies, the Queensland Women's Rugby League and the New South Wales Women's rugby league, who were affiliated with the QRL and NSWRL.[7] [8]

Before coming under the State of Origin banner in 2018, the sides were not known as the 'Blues' and 'Maroons', with the Queensland side being known as the 'Brolgas'.[9] In 2005, the teams began playing for the Nellie Doherty Cup. Nellie Doherty was a pioneer of the women's game in Australia, helping to launch the sport in 1921.[10]

Although the majority of early Women's Interstate Challenges were one-off fixtures, the sides would occasionally play a series of games, such as in 2004 and 2008.[11]

In 2015, Queensland failed to defeat New South Wales for the first time, with the sides drawing 4–all at Townsville's 1300SMILES Stadium and Queensland retaining the Nellie Doherty Cup.[12] On 23 July 2016, New South Wales defeated Queensland for the first time, ending Queensland's 17-year undefeated streak, with an 8–4 victory at the Gold Coast's Cbus Super Stadium.[13] On 23 July 2017, in the final game played under the Women's Interstate Challenge name, New South Wales defeated Queensland for the second time, winning 22–6 at WIN Stadium in Wollongong.[14]

State of Origin (2018–present)

On 6 December 2017, the National Rugby League announced that the Women's Interstate Challenge would be rebranded as the Women's State of Origin.[15] The game which, was previously played as a curtain-raiser, would now be a standalone fixture broadcast on the Nine Network and Fox Sports. With the game under the State of Origin banner, the Nellie Doherty Cup was replaced by a shield, with the player of the match now receiving the Nellie Doherty Medal.[16]

On 22 June 2018, New South Wales won the first Women's State of Origin game, defeating Queensland 16–10 at North Sydney Oval.[17] Blues' centre Isabelle Kelly, who scored two tries in the win, won the inaugural Nellie Doherty Medal.[18] On 21 June 2019, New South Wales defeated Queensland for the fourth consecutive year, winning 14–4 at North Sydney Oval, with Blues halfback Maddie Studdon being awarded the Nellie Doherty Medal.[19]

The 2020 game was originally due to be played in June at Sunshine Coast Stadium, but was moved to the post-season for the first time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The game was played in Queensland for the first time under the State of Origin banner and for the first time overall since 2016.[20] [21] Queensland defeated New South Wales 24–18, winning their first official State of Origin game and their first game since 2014.[22]

The 2021 match is historically notable for being the first Women's State of Origin fixture where the players, coaches and on-field officials were all women.[23]

Broadcasting

Within Australia, the game is simulcast on the Nine Network and Fox Sports.[24]

In 2013 and 2014, the game was livestreamed.[25] In 2015 and 2016, the game aired on Fox Sports as a replay the day after the game.[26] In 2017, the game aired live on Fox Sports for the first time.[27]

Selection rules

Prior to 2019, the Queensland and New South Wales teams were largely selected under residency rules, meaning a number of players represented both states.[28] For example, Tahnee Norris (who captained Queensland) and Natalie Dwyer, both represented New South Wales before moving to Queensland. Innisfail's Tarah Westera represented Queensland before moving to Penrith, where she represented New South Wales, later returning to and playing for Queensland.[29]

In 2019, the eligibility rules were revised to be more inline with the men's State of Origin rules.[30] The residency rule was removed, which saw New Zealand representatives Maitua Feterika (Queensland) and Nita Maynard (New South Wales) ruled ineligible.[31] Queensland Rona Peters, who had previously represented New Zealand, was also originally ruled ineligible. This was later overturned and she was given special dispensation, as she had retired from international rugby league in 2015, before she first represented Queensland in 2016.[32]

Nellie Doherty Medal

The Nellie Doherty Medal is awarded to the player of the match. The medal was first awarded in 2018 to New South Wales' Isabelle Kelly after the first official Women's State of Origin game[33] and Kelly became the first player to win the award twice winning it again in 2022[34]

Recipients
Year Player State Position Club
New South Wales
New South Wales
Queensland
Queensland
New South Wales
Queensland[35]
Queensland

Results

Accurate records were not kept in early years of the Women's Interstate Challenge by either the QRL or the NSWRL. In 2004, 2008 and 2023 two games were played instead of a one-off fixture.[28]

Year Winner Wins Losses Drawn
Queensland 1 0 0
Queensland 1 0 0
Queensland 1 0 0
Queensland 1 0 0
Queensland 1 0 0
Queensland 2 0 0
Queensland 1 0 0
Queensland 1 0 0
Queensland 1 0 0
Queensland 2 0 0
Queensland 1 0 0
Queensland 1 0 0
Queensland 1 0 0
Queensland 1 0 0
Queensland 1 0 0
Queensland 1 0 0
Draw 0 0 1
New South Wales 1 0 0
New South Wales 1 0 0
New South Wales 1 0 0
New South Wales 1 0 0
Queensland 1 0 0
Queensland 1 0 0
New South Wales 1 0 0
Queensland 1 1 0
Queensland 2 1 0

Match details

2006

2007

2008

Game 1

Game 2

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

The two-match series was decided as the teams win one match each on aggregate.[36]
Queensland won by four points, 32–28.
Game 1
Game 2

2024

For the first time, in either the residential selection or Origin period, a three-match series was scheduled.
Game 1
Game 2
Game 3

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Melissa Jane Johnson Morgan . Jane Summers . amp . Sports Marketing. Thomson Learning Nelson. 2005. 8. 9780170128599.
  2. Web site: NRL Women's Premiership set to launch. 5 December 2017. NRL.
  3. Web site: Tickets on sale for Women's State of Origin. 19 April 2018. QRL.
  4. Web site: State of Origin: Rugby league women break through glass ceiling. 22 June 2018. ABC.
  5. Web site: NSW league side beats Queensland 8-4 for first-ever win. 23 July 2016. ABC.
  6. Web site: Why a big crowd is crucial to history-making women's Origin clash. 15 June 2018. NRL.
  7. Web site: 18 July 2008 . Queensland Women's Rugby League . https://web.archive.org/web/20080718182710/http:/qwrlbrolgas.leaguenet.com.au/ . 2008-07-18 . LeagueNet.
  8. Web site: New South Wales women's rugby league. 29 October 2009. LeagueNet. https://web.archive.org/web/20091029040717/http://nswwrl.leaguenet.com.au/. 29 October 2009.
  9. Web site: Ballinger calls time on her Queensland career. 11 February 2020. QRL.
  10. Web site: Women's State of Origin. NRL.
  11. Web site: State of Origin 2 helps decide World Cup squad. 4 September 2008. Our Footy Team.
  12. Web site: Women's Interstate Challenge ends in draw. 27 June 2015. NRL.
  13. Web site: NSW women beat Queensland at last. 23 July 2016. NRL.
  14. Web site: NSW triumph in Women's Interstate Challenge. 23 July 2017. NRL.
  15. Web site: NRL Women's Premiership set to launch. 6 December 2017. NRL.
  16. Web site: Unprecedented: Women on Friday night prime time. 18 May 2018. QRL.
  17. Web site: NSW down Queensland to win inaugural women's State of Origin. 22 June 2018. The Guardian.
  18. Web site: CRL Newcastle's Isabelle Kelly wins women's golden boot. 8 November 2018. Newcastle Herald.
  19. Web site: Studdon stars as NSW women fight back to beat Queensland. 21 June 2019. NRL.
  20. Web site: Breaking new ground: Origin series and women's game in November. National Rugby League. Troy. Whittaker. 21 May 2020. 21 May 2020.
  21. Web site: Tickets on sale for Harvey Norman Women's State of Origin. 27 October 2020. NRL.
  22. Web site: Queensland finally break NSW stranglehold as Tamika Upton proves inspirational. 13 November 2020. The Courier-Mail.
  23. News: Hart. Chloe. 25 June 2021. Women's State of Origin to make history with all-female referee team. ABC News. Australia. 25 June 2021.
  24. Web site: How to watch Women's State of Origin live stream or on TV in Australia. 20 June 2019. Finder.
  25. Web site: Women's Interstate Challenge. 17 July 2014. QRL.
  26. Web site: Queensland Women's team for Interstate Challenge. 12 June 2015. NRL.
  27. Web site: FAQ - Women's Interstate Challenge. 22 July 2017. NSWRL.
  28. Web site: NSW down Queensland to win inaugural women's State of Origin. 22 June 2018. NRL.
  29. Web site: Women ready for Origin battle. 23 June 2015. NRL.
  30. Web site: Caslick, Pelite get green light to play for Maroons in Origin. 7 October 2020. NRL.
  31. Web site: New eligibility rules for Women's State of Origin. 18 April 2019. QRL.
  32. Web site: Four debutantes named for Maroons women's Origin. 6 June 2019. NRL.
  33. Web site: Kelly dedicates Origin medal to her late mum. 23 June 2018. NRL.
  34. Web site: Isabelle Kelly wins the 2022 Nellie Doherty Medal. 30 June 2018. NRL.
  35. Web site: Tazmin Gray wins Nellie Doherty Medal . NRL . 22 June 2023 . 15 January 2024.
  36. Web site: Points aggregate to determine Origin winner if series drawn. Newton. Alicia. 26 May 2022. NRL. 1 Jun 2023.