2017 RFL Women's Super League

2017 Women's Super League
Duration6 rounds
Teams4
Matches played14
Champions Bradford Bulls
League Leaders' Shield Bradford Bulls

The 2017 Women's Super League was the inaugural season of the top level rugby league competition for women in England.[1] Run by the Rugby Football League there were four teams in the league; three (Bradford Bulls, Castleford Tigers and Featherstone Rovers) associated with professional clubs in West Yorkshire and one (Thatto Heath) associated with a leading amateur club in Lancashire.

The league was won by Bradford Bulls who went undefeated in the six round regular season before defeating Featherstone Rovers 36–6 in the Grand Final.[2] The win completed a treble for Bradford who in early August had defeated Featherstone 50–16 in the final of the 2017 Challenge Cup.[3][4]

Teams

Locations of teams in Northern England
Club Location
 Bradford Bulls Bradford, West Yorkshire
 Castleford Tigers Castleford, West Yorkshire
 Featherstone Rovers Featherstone, West Yorkshire
 Thatto Heath St Helens St Helens, Merseyside

Results

The season comprised six rounds during which each team played the others home and away.[5] The team finishing top of the league automatically qualified for the Grand Final. The teams finishing second and third playing a preliminary final to determine who the other grand finalists were.

Round 1

Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee
 Castleford Tigers 48–14  Featherstone Rovers 23 July 2017, 14:00 Neil Pascall
 Thatto Heath St Helens 26–32  Bradford Bulls 23 July 2017, 14:00 Phillip Salisbury
Source:[6][7]

Round 2

Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee
 Bradford Bulls 72–18  Castleford Tigers 13 August 2017, 14:00 Neil Pascall
 Featherstone Rovers 20–30  Thatto Heath St Helens 13 August 2017, 14:00
Source:[6][8]

Round 3

Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee
 Featherstone Rovers 0–24  Bradford Bulls 20 August 2017, 14:00[a] Connor Astbury
 Thatto Heath St Helens 64–4  Castleford Tigers 20 August 2017, 14:00 Phillip Salisbury
Source:[6][9]

Round 4

Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee
 Bradford Bulls 40–10  Thatto Heath St Helens 3 September 2017, 144:00 Neil Pascall
 Featherstone Rovers 48–20  Castleford Tigers 3 September 2017, 14:00 Gareth Billingham
Source:[6][10]

Round 5

Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee
 Castleford Tigers 12–60  Bradford Bulls 10 September 2017, 14:00 Philip Lawley
 Thatto Heath St Helens 14–24  Featherstone Rovers 10 September 2017, 14:00 Phillip Salisbury
Source:[6][11]

Round 6

Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee
 Bradford Bulls 72–10  Featherstone Rovers 24 September 2017, 14:00 Jake Brook
 Castleford Tigers 4–38  Thatto Heath St Helens 24 September 2017, 15:00 Neil Horton
Source:[6][12]

Regular season standings

Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1  Bradford Bulls 6 6 0 0 300 76 +224 12 Grand final
2  Thatto Heath St Helens 6 3 0 3 182 124 +58 6 Preliminary final
3  Featherstone Rovers 6 2 0 4 116 208 −92 4
4  Castleford Tigers 6 1 0 5 106 296 −190 2
Source: [1][13]

Play-offs

Preliminary final

Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee
 Thatto Heath St Helens 20–21 (g.p.)  Featherstone Rovers 1 October 2017, 14:00 Phillip Salisbury
Source:[6][14]

Grand Final

7 October 2017
Noon BST
Bradford Bulls 36 – 6 Featherstone Rovers
Tries: Kirsty Moroney, Lois Forsell, Charlotte Booth, Claire Garner, Amy Hardcastle, Charlene Henegan, Haylie Hields
Goals: Claire Garner (4)
report
Tries: Georgia Roche
Goals: Georgia Roche
Manchester Regional Arena
Referee: Neil Pascall[6]
Player of the Match: Lois Forsell

Notes

  1. ^ Report indicates match was postponed/forfeited[9]

References

  1. ^ "England Rugby Football League". International Rugby League. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  2. ^ "Bradford Bulls become first-ever Women's Super League champions". RFL. 8 October 2017. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  3. ^ "Bradford Bulls win Women's Challenge Cup". RFL. 2 August 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  4. ^ "Rugby League World Cup: 'It's been a long journey with lots of tears', says Amy Hardcastle". BBC Sport. 23 October 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  5. ^ "Rugby League". www.rugby-league.com. RFL. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h "2017 Women's Super League: Fixtures/Results". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  7. ^ "Tigers and Bulls win as Women's RL Super League gets underway". 4 The Love Of Sport. 24 July 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  8. ^ "Women's Rugby League Weekly Round up 13th August". 4 The Love Of Sport. 14 August 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Women's Rugby League Weekly Round up 20th August". 4 The Love Of Sport. 22 August 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  10. ^ "Women's Rugby League Round up 3rd September 2017". 4 The Love Of Sport. 4 September 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  11. ^ "Women's Rugby League Round Up 10th September". 4 The Love Of Sport. 11 September 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  12. ^ "Women's Rugby League Round Up 24 September". 4 The Love Of Sport. 24 September 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  13. ^ "2017 Women's Super League: Summary". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  14. ^ "Featherstone Rovers secure Grand Final spot". RFL. 2 October 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2023.