New exhibition on Women’s Rugby League history opens in Heritage Quay
A new exhibition that tells the story of Women’s Rugby League for the first time has opened in Heritage Quay at the University of Huddersfield.
The Pioneers: Women in Rugby League reveals the hidden history of the sport through rare archival treasures.
From the muddy fields of northern parks to the glamour of Wembley, visitors will share in the struggles, battles and successes of the game as it developed. The display includes never-seen-before photographs, muddy kit, trophies and much more. Teams from Cumbria, the North West and Yorkshire are honoured, as well as the Fulham team established in the 1980s.
Latest in string of exhibitions to spotlight women's RL
Over the past four years former coaches, players and administrators have donated memorabilia and administrative records to Heritage Quay, the University’s archive, to ensure their stories are not lost. The archive has worked with Julia Lee, former professional referee and administrator, who has received funding to do this vital work.
Dr Becky Bowd, University Archivist and Records Manager, said “It is incredibly exciting to share this untold history for the first time. As women’s rugby league cements its place in the national consciousness it is important to record and recognise the pioneers who went before them.
“Working with people like Julia Lee is vital because without projects like this there is a real risk that material may be lost forever. When we started we only had one box of women’s rugby league material in the Rugby League collections here, but now we have thousands of items.
“Overall we have increased the amount of material about women’s rugby league by 7500%. The collecting is just the start and it’s now our privilege to make the collection available for future generations. This exhibition is the first step.”
Julia Lee, a former rugby league referee and the first woman to officiate in professional men’s matches, adds, “This exhibition offers a unique insight into those pioneering years, and helps to put into context the gigantic contributions made by those early champions of the sport, and we are grateful to Heritage Quay, the University of Huddersfield, Sporting Heritage, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund for everything they have done to make this possible.”
‘The Pioneers’ has been curated in partnership with Julia and a team of volunteers who have been cataloguing the material.
Dave Smith, curator at Heritage Quay, “We have been lucky to work with a dedicated group on this project. Along with the archive material, their knowledge and expertise in the history of the game means that the display shows what really happened. We can’t wait for people to come and learn more about these amazing women - it’s an inspiring story whether you are a rugby league fan or not”.
Heritage Quay to host event to spotlight The Pioneers
To help bring the exhibition to life, Heritage Quay have partnered with The Pioneering Years project to run a free event on Tuesday, 21 October.
Pioneers of Women's Sport features two Rugby League Hall of Famers and an England Lioness sharing their stories on stage. Find out more at www.heritagequay.org/events.
The exhibition is open Monday-Friday 9am-5pm from Friday 3 October until 6 February 2026. Entry is free.