THIS SUNDAY will go down as a significant day for Scottish rugby league, as that will be the day that the nation’s international women’s team make their on-field debut.
Six months on from starting the process to introduce a new name onto the international scene, Scotland women’s head coach John Whalley will take his squad – made up of a mixture of Super League players, Championship stars and local community and rugby union players – to Neath to face a more established Wales side in the first of three scheduled fixtures for their debut year.
Following the full international test match at the Gnoll, Scotland will then face the England Community Lions in a development match at Pilkington Recs on 18th October, before a second full international test against Jamaica at Featherstone Lions on 1st November.
To many, the prospect of taking such a significant step on a journey like this would be a daunting one, but it’s one that Whalley is looking forward to, especially having been on a similar journey with Ireland.
Whalley, who has also coached the England Lionhearts in the men’s game, took on the head coach role with Ireland women in May 2021 as they were starting their international journey. He left just under three years later, and the side now find themselves just two games away from World Cup qualification through the 2025 Women’s Rugby League World Series, which takes place in Canada in October.
“It’s very exciting,” Whalley told Rugby League World.
“This has been a few months in the making, there has been lots of hard work going on behind the scenes, and the playing squad has taken real good shape now with some experienced players in there who have played in some high-level games.
“Like we did with Ireland, Scotland has been built from ground zero and started from absolute scratch – we didn’t even have any balls, bibs or cones when I took the job at the start of the year – so we are very much building our own legacy.
“I have learnt a lot from what I did with Ireland, which I will be putting into the job with Scotland, as well as doing some things a little bit differently. But I am pretty much expecting things to take a similar route – Ireland’s first game was against Wales as well, so that’s becoming a bit of a trend.
“That is going to be a very special game for everyone. For me, everyone wants to coach in big games, but it’s all about what goes on before that, and I know just how much has gone on to get us in this position, so to be part of that will be pretty special.
“Wales are in the World Cup and are one of the top ten nations in the world. They have great staff and some experienced players, so it’s going to be a tough game for us.
“Obviously, we want to test ourselves against Wales, win the game and announce ourselves on the international stage, but whatever happens, it will be an achievement. We have had such a short turnaround – it’s been around six months from the initial expression of interest for players to running out for our first game – so whatever the result, we will be proud of what we’ve done in that time.”
Scotland could have had a taste of action sooner, with plans initially in place for them to feature in the Rugby League Nines competition at the start of July, where they would have faced Whalley’s club side, Swinton Lionesses, in the group stages.
But just because those initial plans changed, doesn’t mean the squad didn’t benefit from the day’s events.
“I made the decision to withdraw Scotland from Nines due to the number of players in the squad that were already involved in the tournament with their club sides,” added Whalley, who is also rugby development manager at Wigan Warriors and has worked closely with a number of that clubs’ current rising stars.
“So plenty of players were involved and at Swinton we were able to give three of the other girls, predominantly from a rugby union background who had shown an interest in playing, some game time and gave them some exposure to the game.
“Having so many players involved in the day shows the amount of talent we have within the Scotland squad.”
Had Scotland taken part in the Nines, Whalley would have found himself to be a very busy man, coaching two sides in the competition. As it was, he was able to fully focus on his job with Swinton, who, after finishing second in Group A, progressed as far as the Championship semi-finals, where they ultimately lost 25-0 to eventual winners and reigning Champions Wigan Warriors.
That success at West Park Leeds RUFC highlighted the work being done by the club to make their women’s team a success.
Currently impressing at the right end of the Championship, Whalley, the players and other club officials all share the same aim – to be playing in Super League sooner rather than later – and they are all working together to make that happen.
The club already boasts several players in its squad with Super League experience, with players such as Sammi Simpson, Emma Welsford, Abbie Singleton and latest recruit Demi Fisher all stepping out of the top flight to be a part of the Lionesses’ journey.
With such a sense of harmony around the club, it’s little wonder Whalley, who took over from Paul Humphries in May, is enjoying the challenge as much as he is.
“I know quite a lot of the Wigan girls from the academy I helped set up there, so it was a standing joke that we were beaten by something I’d created,” added Whalley.
“But doing as well as we did shows what we are trying to do at Swinton.
“When I joined Swinton the focus was straight into the mindset of one day being a Super League club.
“There is a ‘one club, one vision’ mentality at the club and I really like that – the amount of effort they have put into growing the women’s game is great, and when you have that sort of support behind you, it already feels like half the job is done.
“Because of what we’ve been doing, we’ve been able to bring in former Super League players, who all want to be a part of what we’re trying to achieve. And when we face the bigger games, they will know what to expect, and that experience will be great for us.
“We’re looking good for a play-off spot this season, and if we can secure a home tie in those, who knows what might happen.”
Scotland’s 23-woman squad: Abi Gordon (Leigh Leopards), Becky Smart (London Broncos), Betti Ginnelly (Stewartry Sirens), Charlotte Hill (British Army/Swinton Lionesses), Ciorstaidh Ainsworth (Stirling County), Demi Fisher (Swinton Lionesses), Emma Welsford (Swinton Lionesses), Enya Lackie (Golden Ferns/Bath RU), Evie Tonkin (Sale 1861), Georgia Briggs (Oulton Raidettes), Grace Field (Leeds Rhinos), Hannah Walton (Edinburgh University RU), Isabel Glover (Thatto Heath Crusaders), Kaiya Glynn (Leeds Rhinos), Millie Dearn (Bradford Bulls), Morgan Pearson (Swinton Lionesses), Nicole Benson (Barrow Raiders), Rebecca Moffat (Cartha Queens Park), Robyn Bell-Soppelsa (Leigh Miners Rangers), Robyn Price (Golden Ferns/Bath RU), Sammi Simpson (Swinton Lionesses), Sarah Smart (London Broncos), Stephanie Gray (Salford Red Devils).