England captain and Saints Women's star Emily Rudge has been nominated for the game’s newest major individual award, the Telegraph Woman of Steel.
The top three teams in the Betfred Women’s Super League table each have a player in the running for the Telegraph’s Woman of Steel.
Voting closed earlier this week on a poll of all players from the eight BWSL clubs, and the three leading contenders will now be invited to the Betfred Super League Awards Night at the Lowry Theatre on Sunday October 6 – five days before the BWSL Grand Final, at our Totally Wicked Stadium.
The Saints, who are second in the table, are represented by Rudge, our industrious second-row who captained England Women in their last international against France last year, and who has scored nine tries from 11 appearances this season.
Castleford Tigers, the unbeaten leaders of the BWSL, are represented on the shortlist by Kelsey Gentles, their prolific 21-year-old three-quarter who has scored 21 tries from 15 appearances this season. She is bidding to succeed Tigers team-mate Georgia Roche, who was crowned Rugby League’s first Woman of Steel when the award was introduced last autumn.
The third player on the shortlist is Courtney Hill, the goal kicking half-back from Queensland who rediscovered Rugby League with Leeds last season after previously playing cricket in the Big Bash. Hill has scored more than 150 points from 14 appearances this season.
All three of the contenders will be in action for their clubs in the next few days, with two rounds of matches remaining in the regular BWSL season before the top four play-offs.
Saints have a local derby against the reigning champions Wigan on Sunday with only a point needed to secure a home Semi Final in the Playoffs. Leeds make the short trip to Wakefield Trinity on Saturdayand Castleford can clinch the League Leaders’ Shield when they host York City Knights at the Mend-a-Hose Jungle on Tuesday night.
