Featherstone Rovers are back in the Women’s Super League for 2026 after enjoying a sensational year in the Championship – one which they hope is a catalyst for a brighter future in the elite.

FEATHERSTONE’S last foray into the top tier of women’s rugby league ended with a winless season and a disappointing relegation. Twelve months on, the club are rejuvenated, self-assured and poised to rub shoulders with the best in the business once again.

Marie Colley’s team sealed their spot back in the WSL thanks to a thrilling play-off final victory over the London Broncos, and the head coach is now plotting to take their freshly-built momentum into an exciting 2026 campaign.

“It’s been an enjoyable season,” said Colley. “Especially after losing every game in Super League, to getting back into some sort of winning form, it has been good for us. 

“I think when we look at the league and the structure, it’s been quite competitive. London, Cardiff, Swinton, Salford, they’ve all had good offerings against us this year. And looking back, it’s been a good development season for us.”

During Colley’s run as coach at Featherstone, the core of the squad has largely remained the same, meaning the players are no strangers to the lows and the highs experienced by the club in recent seasons.

“They deserve their opportunity in Super League next year,” said Colley when asked about her squad. “With the togetherness of the group, all we want is to add another four or five good quality players to that and really try to cement our place in that league next year.

“We don’t want to be the whipping girls of the league. We are a lot better prepared. We know what to expect and how to tackle challenges head on.”

Reflecting candidly on Featherstone’s chances in the WSL next year, Colley added: “Being honest, everybody would like to say, ‘we want to be in the top four’. But we’ve got to be realistic of where we are as a group. 

“For us, ultimately, the aim is to stay in the league and pick off one or two wins. We want to put ourselves in a safer, more comfortable position than we were last time.”

Despite the challenges that come with leading a yo-yo club, Colley revealed she is still loving the job, saying: “Obviously, it doesn’t come without its challenges. But overall, the group that I’m currently coaching, they make it a lot easier for me and more enjoyable. 

“I love coaching. I love seeing the girls do well on the field, but, you know, seeing what they do off the field as well: the work, the home life, how they’re developing, how they’re growing, and going to university.”

The head coach has overseen the development of dozens of players, though the rise of Charley Blackburn has been particularly noteworthy.

The 23-year-old has been involved with the women’s set-up at Rovers for eight years, and has remained loyal to the club – even during the club’s relegation. 

“I’ve been offered opportunities [to leave] for the past couple of years but I knew that my heart lies with Fev,” said the Rovers captain.

“I don’t think I would play for another club with the pride and the passion that I have for Fev, just because it’s my hometown club.

“I did have offers and obviously they were tempting but I knew that in my heart I’m Featherstone through and through.

“It’s home. I know this club inside and out. I could walk you through it now without you even being here and tell you every inch of it. If I did ever choose to leave, it would be really difficult. But I don’t think I’d ever make that decision.”

Blackburn was an influential figure for Featherstone on the pitch, and she was rewarded for her efforts by lifting the trophy following their 20-10 win over the Broncos.

“I don’t even think I could put it into words,” she said when asked about her emotions after the full-time whistle. “I think it was relief more than anything because we’ve worked so hard all year.

“Obviously the odds were stacked against us in that final, travelling down to London. We played them in our first or second game of the season and we lost by 20 or so points.

“But we worked so hard to right those wrongs and ended up coming away on the better side of it. It’s euphoric because I have never won a final with Fev, we’ve always been on the other side of it.”

During the regular season, Featherstone managed a second-placed finish, picking up nine wins from their 10 outings. They also boasted the best defence, conceding just 56 points along the way.

Looking back on the season in the Championship, Blackburn said: “It’s been really good for our confidence. Obviously, we came off the back of a winless Super League season, getting relegated, so confidence was probably the lowest it’s ever been.

“In the Championship, at the start of the year we set our standards very high and we managed to achieve what we had set out.

“Our goal was always to get back into the Super League, we trained all year as we would have done if we were still in the Super League. 

“But the Championship played a real key part because we managed to build the confidence back in ourselves and realise that we are good at what we do. We just needed to have a bit more faith and belief in ourselves, which is what we struggled with all year before that.”

Featherstone will replace Warrington Wolves in the WSL next season and will have an opportunity to test themselves against the likes of Wigan Warriors, St Helens and York Valkyrie.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” said Blackburn. “I think the first couple of years that we were in the Super League, we were probably a little bit ill-prepared. 

“We didn’t really know what we were up against because we’d come off the back of the Women’s Super League not being as professional as what it is now. 

“Our aim is to just be as competitive as we can. The top four are pretty untouchable at the minute but we always stick to realistic goals. We’ve made it into the Super League, and we want to stay there.”

First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 514 (November 2025)