Women's State of Origin

The Women's State of Origin is an annual rugby league fixture between two Australian state representative women's sides, the New South Wales Blues and the Queensland Maroons.[1]

Women's State of Origin
Current season or competition:
2020 Women's State of Origin
SportRugby league
Instituted2018
Inaugural season1999
Number of teams2
CountryAustralia (ARLC)
Shield Holders Queensland (2020)
WebsiteNRL website
Broadcast partnerNine Network
Fox Sports
Related competitionsNRL Women's Premiership
NSWRL Women's Premiership
QRL Women's Premiership

First played in 1999 as the Women's Interstate Challenge, the game was rebranded as State of Origin for the 2018 season.[2][3] Queensland won the first game in 1999 and were unbeaten for 17 years until New South Wales won for the first time in 2016.[4][5]

History

Women's Interstate Challenge (1999–2017)

Despite women's rugby league first being played in Australia in 1921, the first official game between Queensland and New South Wales was held in 1999. The two teams met at Brisbane's ANZ Stadium with Queensland winning 16–6.[6]

Accurate records were not kept in the early years of the Interstate Challenge by either the QRL or the NSWRL, with many player records and game information still unknown.[7] For many years, the women's teams were run by their own governing bodies, the Queensland Women's Rugby League and the New South Wales Women's rugby league, who were affiliated with the QRL and NSWRL.[8][9]

Before coming under the State of Origin banner in 2018, the sides were not known as the 'Blues' and 'Maroons', with the Queensland side being known as the 'Brolgas'.[10] In 2005, the teams began playing for the Nellie Doherty Cup. Nellie Doherty was a pioneer of the women's game in Australia, helping to launch the sport in 1921.[11]

Although the majority of early Women's Interstate Challenges were one-off fixtures, the sides would occasionally play a series of games, such as in 2004 and 2008.[12]

In 2015, Queensland failed to defeat New South Wales for the first time, with the sides drawing 4–all at Townsville's 1300SMILES Stadium and Queensland retaining the Nellie Doherty Cup.[13] On 23 July 2016, New South Wales defeated Queensland for the first time, ending Queensland's 17-year undefeated streak, with an 8–4 victory at the Gold Coast's Cbus Super Stadium.[14] On 23 July 2017, in the final game played under the Women's Interstate Challenge name, New South Wales defeated Queensland for the second time, winning 22–6 at WIN Stadium in Wollongong.[15]

State of Origin (2018–present)

On 6 December 2017, the National Rugby League announced that the Women's Interstate Challenge would be rebranded as the Women's State of Origin.[16] The game which, was previously played as a curtain-raiser, would now be a standalone fixture broadcast on the Nine Network and Fox Sports. With the game under the State of Origin banner, the Nellie Doherty Cup was replaced by a shield, with the player of the match now receiving the Nellie Doherty Medal.[17]

On 22 June 2018, New South Wales won the first Women's State of Origin game, defeating Queensland 16–10 at North Sydney Oval.[18] Blues' centre Isabelle Kelly, who scored two tries in the win, won the inaugural Nellie Doherty Medal.[19] On 21 June 2019, New South Wales defeated Queensland for the fourth consecutive year, winning 14–4 at North Sydney Oval, with Blues halfback Maddie Studdon being awarded the Nellie Doherty Medal.[20]

The 2020 game was originally due to be played in June at Sunshine Coast Stadium, but was moved to the post-season for the first time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The game was played in Queensland for the first time under the State of Origin banner and for the first time overall since 2016.[21][22] Queensland defeated New South Wales 24–18, winning their first official State of Origin game and their first game since 2014.[23]

Broadcasting

Within Australia, the game is simulcast on the Nine Network and Fox Sports.[24]

In 2013 and 2014, the game was livestreamed.[25] In 2015 and 2016, the game aired on Fox Sports as a replay the day after the game.[26] In 2017, the game aired live on Fox Sports for the first time.[27]

Selection rules

Prior to 2019, the Queensland and New South Wales teams were largely selected under residency rules, meaning a number of players represented both states.[28] For example, Tahnee Norris (who captained Queensland) and Natalie Dwyer, both represented New South Wales before moving to Queensland. Innisfail's Tarah Westera represented Queensland before moving to Penrith, where she represented New South Wales, later returning and playing for Queensland.[29]

In 2019, the eligibility rules were revised to be more inline with the men's State of Origin rules.[30] The residency rule was removed, which saw New Zealand representatives Maitua Feterika (Queensland) and Nita Maynard (New South Wales) ruled ineligible.[31] Queensland lock Rona Peters, who had previously represented New Zealand, was also originally ruled ineligible. This was later overturned and she was given special dispensation, as she had retired from international rugby league in 2015, before she first represented Queensland in 2016.[32]

Results

Accurate records were not kept in early years of the Women's Interstate Challenge by either the QRL or the NSWRL. In some years a series of games were played instead of a one-off fixture but these years are not known.[28]

YearWinnerWinsLossesDrawn
1999Queensland100
2000Queensland100
2001Queensland100
2002Queensland100
2003Queensland100
2004Queensland200
2005Queensland100
2006Queensland100
2007Queensland100
2008Queensland200
2009Queensland100
2010Queensland100
2011Queensland100
2012Queensland100
2013Queensland100
2014Queensland100
2015Draw001
2016New South Wales100
2017New South Wales100
2018New South Wales100
2019New South Wales100
2020Queensland100

Nellie Doherty Medal

The Nellie Doherty Medal is awarded to the player of the match. The medal was first awarded in 2018 to New South Wales' centre Isabelle Kelly after the first official Women's State of Origin game.[33]

Recipients
YearPlayerStatePositionClub
2018Isabelle KellyNew South WalesCentreCRL Newcastle
2019Maddie StuddonNew South WalesHalfbackCronulla-Sutherland Sharks
2020Tarryn AikenQueenslandFive-eighthBrisbane Broncos

See also

References
  1. Melissa Jane Johnson Morgan & Jane Summers (2005). Sports Marketing. Thomson Learning Nelson. p. 8. ISBN 9780170128599.
  2. "NRL Women's Premiership set to launch". NRL. 5 December 2017.
  3. "Tickets on sale for Women's State of Origin". QRL. 19 April 2018.
  4. "State of Origin: Rugby league women break through glass ceiling". ABC. 22 June 2018.
  5. "NSW league side beats Queensland 8-4 for first-ever win". ABC. 23 July 2016.
  6. "Why a big crowd is crucial to history-making women's Origin clash". NRL. 15 June 2018.
  7. "NSW down Queensland to win inaugural women's State of Origin". NRL. 22 June 2018.
  8. "Queensland Women's Rugby League". LeagueNet. 18 July 2008.
  9. "New South Wales women's rugby league". LeagueNet. 29 October 2009. Archived from the original on 29 October 2009.
  10. "Ballinger calls time on her Queensland career". QRL. 11 February 2020.
  11. "Women's State of Origin". NRL.
  12. "State of Origin 2 helps decide World Cup squad". Our Footy Team. 4 September 2008.
  13. "Women's Interstate Challenge ends in draw". NRL. 27 June 2015.
  14. "NSW women beat Queensland at last". NRL. 23 July 2016.
  15. "NSW triumph in Women's Interstate Challenge". NRL. 23 July 2017.
  16. "NRL Women's Premiership set to launch". NRL. 6 December 2017.
  17. "Unprecedented: Women on Friday night prime time". QRL. 18 May 2018.
  18. "NSW down Queensland to win inaugural women's State of Origin". The Guardian. 22 June 2018.
  19. "CRL Newcastle's Isabelle Kelly wins women's golden boot". Newcastle Herald. 8 November 2018.
  20. "Studdon stars as NSW women fight back to beat Queensland". NRL. 21 June 2019.
  21. Whittaker, Troy (21 May 2020). "Breaking new ground: Origin series and women's game in November". National Rugby League. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  22. "Tickets on sale for Harvey Norman Women's State of Origin". NRL. 27 October 2020.
  23. "Queensland finally break NSW stranglehold as Tamika Upton proves inspirational". The Courier Mail. 13 November 2020.
  24. "How to watch Women's State of Origin live stream or on TV in Australia". Finder. 20 June 2019.
  25. "Women's Interstate Challenge". QRL. 17 July 2014.
  26. "Queensland Women's team for Interstate Challenge". NRL. 12 June 2015.
  27. "FAQ - Women's Interstate Challenge". NSWRL. 22 July 2017.
  28. "NSW down Queensland to win inaugural women's State of Origin". NRL. 22 June 2018.
  29. "Women ready for Origin battle". NRL. 23 June 2015.
  30. "Caslick, Pelite get green light to play for Maroons in Origin". NRL. 7 October 2020.
  31. "New eligibility rules for Women's State of Origin". QRL. 18 April 2019.
  32. "Four debutantes named for Maroons women's Origin". NRL. 6 June 2019.
  33. "Kelly dedicates Origin medal to her late mum". NRL. 23 June 2018.
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