Mikayla Gillespie was initially employed to encourage others to take up rugby league without having played the game herself, but now she has followed her own advice and is loving life at St Helens.

SOMETIMES in life, we all have to practice what we preach, lead from the front or put our money where our mouth is.

And that is no different for St Helens’ new signing and netball convert Mikayla Gillespie, who, after playing in the National Netball League in New Zealand (the level just below the professional ranks), joined Premier League 1 side Bury when she moved to the UK in September 2024 to work in the sports development field. 

It was then she found herself working within the RFL as a development officer for the women’s and girls’ game, mainly working at the grassroots level, supporting clubs and their foundations with the development of what opportunities they can offer young, aspiring female players. This was done despite her never having played rugby league before. 

But that could be about to change after a team bonding session with colleagues led to being part of one of the game’s most successful clubs.

“It’s been a bit of a crazy journey and not really something that I was anticipating or expecting,” 25-year-old Gillespie, who has prepared for the switch to league by playing the more physical mixed team netball with Manchester Thunder, told Rugby League World.

“I came over intending to play netball over here but quickly found I couldn’t get into any of the pathways because of the visa requirements and things like that, but I was still able to play a bit in the Premier Leagues. 

“But I always felt like a bit of a fake, because as part of my job with the RFL, I was telling all these girls that they need to play rugby league when I wasn’t playing it myself.

“Then we had a bit of a sports day at work as a social thing, and part of that was a sprint competition, and when my colleagues saw me run, they said I needed to be in a team and playing the game.

“One of them must have contacted Jodie (Cunningham – Saints’ first team captain and head of women’s pathways and performance) because the next day I got a message from her asking if I wanted to go down to the club and give rugby league a go.

“So I went down later that week and trained with them. I figured I’d just keep going until they told me to stop. They never did tell me to stop, so here I am.

“From a work point of view, that feeling of being a fraud is ebbing away a bit now because when I am doing the work, on the ground, in the community, I know that I am actually having a go at it myself as well. I guess it helps when I am talking to people that I now know what it feels like to be involved in playing the game. When I do know what I’m talking about, it will help to encourage others to get involved too.

“But there is still an element of imposter syndrome – that is very real for me. 

“There aren’t many sports that you could have never played in your life and then suddenly find yourself involved with one of the top teams in the country.

“So I do feel like I need to prove myself, and prove that I’m worthy of the spot that so many girls are working so hard to try and achieve.

“But I am loving it, and it is a great group to be involved with. They’re so welcoming and have been really patient with me. It has been really amazing.”

Gillespie’s lack of previous rugby league experience could have been quite daunting for many, but she is not alone at St Helens.

Dani McGifford, who was Super League’s joint-top try scorer in 2025, was in a similar position when she joined the club ahead of the 2023 season. Prior to that, McGifford had been a triathlete and Saints spotted signs she could make it as a rugby league player, so they gave her a chance, developed her game, and now she is an international player for Wales.

Leah Burke as well was a gymnast before taking up rugby and becoming one of England’s most prolific wingers.

While she acknowledges that she is some way off emulating their achievements in the game, Gillespie is just thankful for their knowledge, as well as that of all the other international stars around her, as she tries to find her own way in the game.

“When I first joined Saints I didn’t know that background of girls like Dani and Leah, but when I found out that a few of them had gone through what I was, and that it had worked well for them, it was really reassuring,” admitted Gillespie, whose speed will see her add more attacking to the Saints three-quarter line.

“I have been leaning on these girls a lot and getting as much insight from them as I can. Dani, in particular, has given me a lot of advice about just throwing myself into it, giving it a go and not being embarrassed if I mess up a little bit.

“At times, things sound so complicated – almost like a whole different language – but Dani’s always said not to overthink it too much. Just go out there and catch a ball and run, and the rest will come.

“To have that support, as well as that of all the international girls at the club, it’s the best of both worlds. Everyone has been super supportive with me, and honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to have around me as I start my journey into the game.

“There is so much experience in the squad, and everyone is willing to share that, which is really amazing. It would be quite easy for some of those girls who have been in that environment for so long and have played for so long to feel a little resentful of somebody coming into that from a completely outside position, but they don’t at all.

“I owe a lot to the coaches, Craig (Richards) and Dec (Hardman), as well, because they have been great with me. 

“They have got a great way with everyone in how they approach each of us, explaining things to us in the way that we need.

“It is awesome as well that they have the willingness and the patience to bring someone into that environment who might not have any kind of knowledge around the sport. That can’t be easy for them, especially at this level, when you’ve got so many girls who are playing at the international level. It’s a really hard balance for them, but they do it really well, and it’s great we have people like that who are willing to do that for the sake of the sport, and for the sake of individual athletes as well.

“Everything about my job with the RFL is about growing female participation in the game, so I think by owning that and going out and doing it shows people that it’s easier than they might think to get into the game later in life and be really, really successful.

“Looking at what Dani, Leah, and I have done helps to keep driving the narrative that it’s not too late to get involved, and that even if you’ve played a different sport since you were five years old, it doesn’t mean that you can’t have a go at this as well.

“That’s a great message to be sending out.

“There are incredible players in this team, and I don’t expect to be taking their spots from them anytime soon. For me, this year is about learning as much as I can and getting as much experience as I can with these girls.

“I’m just going to try to make the most of every moment of being a part of this squad and working hard to put myself in a position where maybe, one day, I can be on that pitch.”

Having spent the latter stages of last season training with the club, Gillespie saw her new team-mates narrowly miss out on both the League Leaders’ Shield and a Grand Final victory, both to closest rivals Wigan Warriors. And having already lost their grip on the Challenge Cup, it was the first time since 2019 that St Helens finished a season without any silverware to their name.

While she may not have been actively involved on the field last season, she did see the disappointment at that fact throughout the squad, but knows that that disappointment bodes well heading into the 2026 campaign.

“It (the disappointment) has just fuelled everybody going into this year,” added Gillespie.

“The girls were all absolutely gutted because trophies are what they’re all out there trying to achieve. But you can sense it in pre-season that everybody’s wanting to come back harder and stronger. They just want it so much and are really pushing for it.

“Pre-season has been full on so far, and it has been a pretty intense couple of months, but I’ve loved it.

“It’s been great having a group to train with and being able to push each other, push myself and have that time to learn the skills of the game in that top-level environment. Everybody just wants everybody else to succeed.

“But I guess the girls wouldn’t be there if that’s not what they wanted. If you’re not absolutely committed to trying to be the best, then you wouldn’t be in that environment because it’ s hard work and it’s a big ask.

“But we all want to be the best and to be back among the silverware, and we’ll be doing our best to make that happen.”

First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 518 (March 2026)