2017 RFL Women's Super League

The 2017 Women's Super League was the inaugural season of the top level rugby league competition for women in England.[1] Run by the Rugby Football League there were four teams in the league; three (Bradford Bulls, Castleford Tigers and Featherstone Rovers) associated with professional clubs in West Yorkshire and one (Thatto Heath) associated with a leading amateur club in Lancashire.

2017 Women's Super League
Duration6 rounds
Teams4
Matches played14
Champions Bradford Bulls
League Leaders' Shield Bradford Bulls

The league was won by Bradford Bulls who went undefeated in the six round regular season before defeating Featherstone Rovers 36–6 in the Grand Final.[2]

Teams

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Locations of teams in Northern England
Club Location
  Bradford Bulls Bradford, West Yorkshire
  Castleford Tigers Castleford, West Yorkshire
  Featherstone Rovers Featherstone, West Yorkshire
  Thatto Heath St Helens, Merseyside

Results

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The season comprised six rounds during which each team played the others home and away.[3] The team finishing top of the league automatically qualified for the Grand Final. The teams finishing second and third playing a preliminary final to determine who the other grand finalists were.

Round 1: 23 July 2017

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  • Castleford 48 – 14 Featherstone
  • Thatto Heath 26 – 32 Bradford

Round 2: 13 August 2017

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  • Featherstone 20 – 30 Thatto Heath
  • Bradford 72 – 18 Castleford

Round 3: 20 August 2017

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  • Thatto Heath 64 – 4 Castleford
  • Featherstone 0 – 24 Bradford

Round 4: 3 September 2017

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  • Featherstone 48 – 20 Castleford
  • Bradford 40 – 10 Thatto Heath

Round 5: 10 September 2017

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  • Thatto Heath 14 – 24 Featherstone
  • Castleford 12 – 60 Bradford

Round 6: 24 September 2017

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  • Castleford 4 – 38 Thatto Heath
  • Bradford 72 – 10 Featherstone

Regular season standings

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Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1   Bradford Bulls 6 6 0 0 300 76 +224 12 Grand final
2   Thatto Heath Crusaders 6 3 0 3 182 124 +58 6 Preliminary final
3   Featherstone Rovers 6 2 0 4 116 208 −92 4
4   Castleford Tigers 6 1 0 5 106 296 −190 2
Source: [1]

Play-offs

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Preliminary Final: 1 October 2017

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Thatto Heath 20 – 21 Featherstone[4]

Grand Final: 7 October 2017

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7 October 2017
Noon BST
  Bradford Bulls 36 – 6   Featherstone Rovers
Tries: Kirsty Moroney, Lois Forsell, Charlotte Booth, Claire Garner, Amy Hardcastle, Charlene Henegan, Haylie Hields
Goals: Claire Garner (4)
report
Tries: Georgia Roche
Goals: Georgia Roche
Manchester Regional Arena
Player of the Match: Lois Forsell

References

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  1. ^ "England Rugby Football League". Rugby League International Federation. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Bradford Bulls become first-ever Women's Super League champions". Rugby Football League. 8 October 2017. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  3. ^ "Rugby League". www.rugby-league.com. RFL. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Featherstone Rovers secure Grand Final spot". Rugby Football League. 2 October 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2023.