Six aspiring St.Helens Women's players have been chosen to take part in England Rugby League's Diploma in Sports Excellence (DiSE) for 2026 to 2028.
DiSE is the first step on the England Performance Pathway, a national programme for Year 12 and 13 girls who have the potential to play at the highest level of the game – representing England Rugby League with the Knights or the Women’s senior team.
Tia Anderson, Georgia Houghton, Lydia Kelsey, Savannah-Rose Mafi, and Megan Watson have all progressed through our Women’s P2P (Performance To Pathway) programme and will take the step up into our Women’s Academy for next season.
Hallie Segar, having recently been signed to join the Saints Women Academy, has also been selected for the DiSE programme.
So far, a total of fifteen DiSE graduates have showcased the national pathway by going on to represent the England Women’s Senior team, such as Katie Mottershead and Erin Stott on behalf of St.Helens.
The Rugby Football League’s DiSE Manager, Conor Meese, said: “We’re delighted to welcome a new intake of players into the DiSE programme. The continued growth of the women’s and girls’ game has raised standards across the board, creating a highly competitive selection process and highlighting the increasing depth of talent coming through our system.
“It has also been encouraging to see more players progress from the pathway into the international environment, providing clear examples of what can be achieved through hard work and commitment. Combined with the expanded development opportunities available across the women’s game, there has never been a better time for aspiring young players to be part of Rugby League and pursue their ambitions at the highest level.”
To enhance the experience and to further aid player development, the DiSE programme is seeking a programme sponsor to help support the progression of the programme. Please direct any interest to; The Rugby Football League’s DiSE manager, Conor Meese on [email protected].
2026 – 2028 DiSE cohort
Abbey Buckley (Drighlington / Rochdale Mayfield), Alannah Maynard (Drighlington), Alisha Dooley (Siddal), Beau Stringer (Drighlington), Daisy Kaye (Drighlington / Shaw Cross), Ella Simpson (Drighlington), Ffion Coward (Oulton Raidettes), Francheska Richardson (Egremont Rangers), Georgia Houghton (Pilkington Recs), Hallie Segar (Thatto Heath Crusaders), Heather-May Sloan-Spiers (Leigh Miners Rangers), Holly Sargent (Rose Bridge Pantheresses), Isla Shackleton (Drighlington), Isla Lee (Egremont Rangers / Warrington Girls), Keira Holden (Siddal), Kylah Howarth (Drighlington/ Rochdale Mayfield), Laura Mathie (Drighlington), Leah Unwin (Bentley), Libby Nicholson (Heworth), Lottie Hussey (Hull Dockers / Oulton Raidettes), Lottie Johnson (Drighlington), Lydia Jones (Knottingley Mustangs), Lydia Kelsey (Drighlington), Maddison Vaughan (Leigh Miners Rangers), Megan Watson (Leigh Miners Rangers), Mia Colton (Bentley), Niamh Mooney (Leigh Miners Rangers / Rochdale Mayfield), Olivia Stead (Oulton Raidettes), Savannah Mafi (Thatto Heath Crusaders), Tia Anderson-Glover (Thatto Heath Crusaders)
