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Courtney Winfield-Hill

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Courtney Winfield-Hill (née Hill; born 9 January 1987)[1] is an Australian-born sportswoman who formerly played rugby league for England and Leeds Rhinos. Originally Winfield-Hill played cricket as a pace bowler for Queensland Fire and Brisbane Heat, before moving sports and countries to play rugby league.[2][3]

Courtney Winfield-Hill
Personal information
Born (1987-01-09) 9 January 1987 (age 37)
Maryborough, Queensland, Australia
BowlingRight-arm medium
RoleBowler
RelationsLauren Winfield-Hill (wife)
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2009–2014Queensland Fire (squad no. 22)
2015–2017Brisbane Heat (squad no. 22)
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 13 March 2017
Rugby league career
Playing information
Height167 cm (5 ft 6 in)
Weight56 kg (8 st 11 lb)
PositionScrum-half
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2018–22 Leeds Rhinos 44 29 145 0 406
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2022 England 5 3 0 0 12

Career

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Nicknamed "Corker" because her younger sister had difficulty pronouncing her name as a toddler, Winfield-Hill was born in Maryborough, Queensland.[1] She was raised in Monto, Queensland, and in Rockhampton, where she also learned to play cricket.[4][5][6] In November 2009, Winfield-Hill made her debut for Queensland Fire.[6] In 2011, she moved to the Sunshine Coast to pursue a career in professional cricket.[7]

Injury prevented Winfield-Hill from having much of an impact on the 2011–12 Women's National Cricket League season. The following summer, she had limited opportunities due to competition from other pace bowlers, but still played five of the eight WNCL matches and nine of the 12 T20s. In 2013–14, she enjoyed more success, taking wickets in both series at averages of 29.33 and 18.42 respectively.[6]

Winfield-Hill was a member of the Brisbane Heat squad since its inaugural WBBL01 season (2015–16).[8]

A schoolteacher by profession, Winfield-Hill worked at St Ursula's College, Yeppoon, while living in Rockhampton,[4] and as of 2015 was the Year 10 co-ordinator at Unity College, Caloundra.[9] In 2014, she took up professional sprinting, and, in her debut performance, won the 100m Ladies Gift at the 33rd annual Ipswich Winter Carnival.[10] In 2015, she competed in Australia's premiere handicap sprint, the Stawell Gift.[11]

In April 2018 she made the decision to join her then partner (now wife), Lauren Winfield,[12] in England and on arrival took the decision to change sports to rugby league - a game she had not played since junior level.[13] Despite this lack of experience she was given a contract by Leeds Rhinos Women and was an integral member of the Leeds squad that won the 2018 Challenge Cup and the League Leaders Shield in the 2018 Women's Super League.[14][15]

Hill succeeded Lois Forsell as captain of the Rhinos for the 2019 season and was named as the 2019 Telegraph Woman of Steel at the Super League end of season awards on 6 October 2019.[16][17]

In February 2020 Winfield-Hill signed a short term contract to play for Sydney Roosters in the 2020 NRL Nines before rejoining the Rhinos for the 2020 Women's Super League.[18]

At the start of the 2022 Winfield-Hill was named in the England 35-strong performance squad ahead of the World Cup. Winfield-Hill qualifies to play for England under residency rules.[19] Winfield-Hill made her debut for England in the 36–10 victory over France on 18 June 2022.[20]

During the World Cup, Winfield-Hill appeared in all four of England's matches ending with the semi-final defeat to New Zealand. After the defeat Winfield-Hill announced her retirement from playing rugby league.[21]

Winfield-Hill also worked as the head academy coach for the Northern Diamonds cricket team.[22][23] In September 2023 she returned to Australia to become assistant coach at Brisbane Heat.[24]

After making several appearances as part of Sky Sports' commentary team in 2023, Winfield-Hill returned to rugby league when se was named as a member of the Sky team for the 2024 Super League season.[25] At the start of May 2024 it was announced that Winfield-Hill had been appointed as Senior Women and Girls’ Partner at the Rugby Football League (RFL) as well as continuing her media work with Sky.[26]

As well as her role with the RFL, Winfield-Hill also took on other cricket coaching roles. In September 2024 she was assistant coach for the England women's cricket team's tour to Ireland and then another coaching role in the 2024–25 Women's Big Bash League season.[27]

In November 2024, Winfield-Hill was made an assistant coach for England women's tour to South Africa and the 2025 women's Ashes in Australia.[28][29]

Personal life

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In March 2020, Winfield-Hill married England cricketer Lauren Winfield-Hill.[30]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Courtney Hill". www.thrhinos.co.uk. Leeds Rhinos. 6 December 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  2. ^ "Courtney Hill". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  3. ^ "Leeds Rhinos: 'Unknown' Hill a great discovery for the Rhinos". Yorkshire Evening Post. 12 July 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  4. ^ a b Williams, Guy (27 October 2010). "Courtney is a 'corker' on the pitch". Rockhampton Morning Bulletin. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  5. ^ Holdsworth, Matty (12 January 2017). "Country cricketers let the Heat wave in". Rockhampton Morning Bulletin. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  6. ^ a b c "Courtney Hill". Queensland Cricket website. Archived from the original on 14 March 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  7. ^ Mooney, Cade (18 August 2011). "Taking on the men the way to go". Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  8. ^ Jolly, Laura (30 November 2015). "Cricket's biggest stars sign on for WBBL01". Cricket.com.au. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  9. ^ Taylor, Steele (24 December 2015). "Hill revels in Women's Big Bash League as tough match looms". Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  10. ^ Lems, David (19 August 2014). "Queensland Fire speedster surprises with her pace on the track". The Queensland Times. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  11. ^ "Stawell's gift to Courtney Hill". ACA website. Australian Cricketers' Association. 16 April 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  12. ^ "England's 2017 World Cup winning cricketer Lauren Winfield marries Rugby League star Courtney Hill in Australia". NewsChain. 18 March 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  13. ^ "Woman of Steel winner Courtney Hill could quit rugby league". Daily Telegraph. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  14. ^ "From cricket to league: Courtney Hill's English transition". NRL. 6 November 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  15. ^ "Leeds Rhinos win League Leaders' Shield as semi-finals confirmed". RFL. 1 October 2018. Archived from the original on 13 November 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  16. ^ "From the Big Bash to the Super League: Courtney Hill's incredible journey". The Guardian. 6 April 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  17. ^ "Salford's Jackson Hastings crowned Betfred Super League's Steve Prescott Man of Steel for 2019". Sporting Life. 6 October 2019.
  18. ^ "Leeds Rhinos star Courtney Hill to play for Sydney Roosters in Aussie Nines but will be back for new WSL season in March". NewsChain. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  19. ^ "England call up Winfield-Hill & Collie". BBC Sport. 26 March 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  20. ^ Bower, Aaron (18 June 2022). "England tune up for Women's World Cup with assured victory over France". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  21. ^ "'That'll do me' - Leeds Rhinos star Courtney Winfield-Hill confirms retirement after blazing a trail with England". Yorkshire Post. 16 November 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  22. ^ Smith, Peter (30 March 2022). "Why Australia's Winfield-Hill is keen to shine for England at Rugby League World Cup". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  23. ^ "Meet the Squad". Northern Diamonds. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  24. ^ "Winfield-Hill returns to Heat to continue coaching path". Cricket Australia. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  25. ^ Walker, Callum (7 February 2024). "Jodie Cunningham and Courtney Winfield-Hill join Sky Sports as full commentary team revealed". Total Rugby League. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  26. ^ "Former Rhinos skipper takes on new role with RFL". www.therhinos.co.uk. Leeds Rhinos. 1 May 2024. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  27. ^ Nicholson, Raf (6 September 2024). "Courtney Winfield-Hill: from rugby league star to England cricket coach". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  28. ^ "Courtney Winfield-Hill to join England Women coaching set-up for upcoming tours". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  29. ^ "Winfield-Hill joins England coaching team for Women's Ashes". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  30. ^ "Coronavirus:England cricket's Lauren Winfield interview". Independent. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
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