Trailblazers of women’s rugby league celebrated

Pioneers in women’s rugby league are being celebrated in a project in Hull.

An exhibition opened to showcase the stories of some of the former players, including Donna Parker who went on tour with the squad in 1996 to Australia.

Ms Parker, from Hull, recalled doing bucket collections on the Humber Bridge to raise money for the team’s trip.

Julia Lee, one of the first women to referee the men’s game, led the project and said she is “delighted” to see the exhibition at Hull History Centre.

Ms Parker started her career playing for Hull Vixens and then for Yorkshire in the Lancashire county games in the 1980s and 1990s.

She remembered fundraising for the 1996 tour and said: “Playing at international level was more disciplined and it gave me confidence in my own abilities.

“My message to young women is, if you want to play rugby league you’ve got to work hard, play hard and stay on the right path, you’ll get there in the end.”

Ms Lee, from Hull, hopes the project will inspire future generations of women.

She said: “Women had to work so hard to get recognition for their achievements in rugby league and we are keen to tell their stories to a wider public.

“Now that there is going to be a women’s rugby league hall of fame, it’s even more important to get the message out there and celebrate those early trailblazers.”

The exhibition runs until Thursday and the heritage project continues for the next six months.