Jenna Brooks- How the Women’s game can progress

Since the Women’s Rugby League Championship changed its name in 2017 to the Women’s Super League, the profile was immediately boosted, bringing the game to a larger audience.

It saw the competition move from mainly community clubs to professional clubs with the likes of Leeds Rhinos, Wigan Warriors and St Helens forming women’s teams. Another big push came in 2019 when the title sponsors Betfred came on board.

Prost International caught up with Sky Sports Rugby League reporter Jenna Brooks to give her views on the women’s game as a whole.

Jenna admitted her first coverage of the Women’s Super League was the Grand final on Sky in 2019 before COVID hit, but has had a keen eye on the women’s game since 2017. She believes that the coverage the game now receives from Sky Sports and the BBC is a massive catalyst as to why the women’s game has grown in popularity and attendance. It, therefore, allows viewers,  young girls in particular the chance to watch it and be encouraged to take up the sport because of the women succeeding in the sport.

“Its important to talk about the quality of the games as well, particularly the Semi-final between Leeds and York. A cracking game! Players are getting better and the games are becoming more competitive and entertaining”.

The 2021 season saw a massive leap in coverage of the women’s game, there were controversial transfers throughout Super League that got people talking. I asked Jenna which team surprised her the most.

“ The team I was most impressed with this year was York, not just by the way they played (I know they recruited basically an entire team throughout the season) but the way they are looking after their players.

“What St Helens achieved can’t be overlooked either. Unbeaten in 2021, they won the treble… One better than the men! They have set a benchmark. Now the rest will be chasing.”

Looking throughout the women’s game there are a couple of names that have impressed Jenna throughout the season.

“The Woman Of Steel Jodie Cunningham. Her work on the pitch was incredible, but her work off it is what excites me. With people like her driving the game the only way is up! Courtney Winfield-Hill, What a player! I will never forget her second half performance in the Semi-Final. She won the game for Leeds on her own. On her day she is unplayable.”

When asked about the pressures on the women playing in the Super League with full-time jobs, and the toll that it can take, she believes the answer is simple.

“It needs to be professional! Players need to be paid and looked after. Currently players must find support from their clubs, sponsors and the governing body for travel, private health etc.”

These relatively small changes can make a big difference and encourage more females to play the sport, which is ultimately the goal – to grow the women’s game and to get more young girls into the sport.

Continuing from the funding aspect, during big tournaments some of the women who take part have had to take unpaid leave from work in the past to compete- This simply needs to change soon to grow the game. Rugby Union clubs will pay for women to play, so Rugby League needs to catch up and entice young girls into playing, it begs the question that as a young girl starting her career why would you choose to play a sport where currently you don’t get paid over the fifteen players paid code?

The 2022 Rugby League women’s World Cup is fast approaching following the delay due to covid. Although the delay was disappointing for many, it could be a positive for the England squad to give them time to grow and have more games in the SL under their belt before competing in the World Cup.

There is a lot of excitement surrounding the women and it provides another chance to showcase the best of the best. England women’s first game is against Brazil and is a great opportunity to see the game expanding as Brazil will be the first South American nation to compete at the World Cup. A major boost to the women’s competition will be that the Grand Final is going to be a doubleheader with the men’s game at Old Trafford, giving a wider audience a chance to see these female athletes compete on a major stage.

The women are fast becoming household names and thrust into the limelight with little or no media training to prepare themselves for what comes with it, Jenna provided her thoughts on the situation.

“I am a strong believer in media training across all sports. I think not just young girls but young boys as well who play the game should be coached not just for scenarios on the pitch, but off it as well. Media training can help prepare players for unnatural situations, like when a reporter sticks a camera and mic in front of them after a difficult defeat and asks tough questions”

She believes that this kind of education can also help with life after Rugby League as well, to give them confidence for public speaking.

The modern age of social media comes with its own challenges and the clubs have a responsibility to guide and teach players on how best to use the tools they have available to them to showcase themselves in the best possible light. The game is changing in all aspects and is accessible in more ways than ever, these players are role models and young supporters will always look up to them.

Not just the players on the field but women off the field in media roles are becoming more prominent and roles are opening up in Rugby League to give coverage for females, although that comes with the element of constantly trying to prove themselves. Even as a female that has competed at a high level in a number of sports, although never playing full-contact rugby she has grown up with Rugby League and knows the game inside out, Jenna has been no stranger to the feeling of having to compete and prove herself.

“I think its fair to say if a male pundit, who previously played the game makes a mistake on air, its laughed at and forgotten about almost immediately, I do believe its still a different story if a female does it” However she adds that the landscape is changing, and females are proving that they belong in these so called ‘male dominated sports’.

In the past, there has been a stigma attached to female rugby players and thankfully those barriers are slowly being knocked down, which is where the media can step in to further enable this, giving more attention to profiling on the women, more information about the women’s game and its players needs to be readily available to the masses. The answer is simple – it needs more coverage.

“We need to help grow the game’s profile and give it and its players a hell of a lot more coverage, so people at home can learn and feel like they know the players, what drives them and why they play the game they love.”

A way to reach out to more audiences, especially young children would be for the women players going around schools all over the country giving talks about the game, what drives them. Camps are popping up all over the place with female players showcasing what the game gives them and promoting the sport to young girls. Jenna quoted Kelsey Gentles and Jodie Cunningham “if you can see it, you can be it” and that is a powerful message and can be backed up, so many young boys want to be professional footballers or rugby players because they can see it can be achieved and is easily accessible – the same attention needs to be given to young girls to inspire them.

After speaking to Jenna, the message is clear cut – The women’s teams need to be professional for the game to grow, the media coverage needs to be taken to the next level across the board, information on the women’s game and the players needs to be accessible in the modern age of technology. Young girls need to see these female athletes more to be inspired to continue the progression of not just the Women’s Super League but for female rugby right across all of the leagues.

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