Women's Super League clubs going at own pace at start of exciting new era

The profile of the sport is growing exponentially, as evidenced by the media interest in household names such as York Valkyrie captain and reigning Woman of Steel Sinead Peach.

All things considered, York's modern stadium was the perfect setting for the 2024 season launch.

From staging eight games during the 2022 World Cup to last year's Grand Final attended by a record crowd, the LNER Community Stadium has almost become the unofficial home of women's rugby league in this country.

The Valkyrie lifted the Super League trophy for the first time after seeing off Leeds Rhinos in the decider and are setting the pace at the start of the professional era.

Together with the Rhinos, York broke new ground by paying their players from the 2023 season and have since gone a step further.

In the aftermath of their title triumph, the Valkyrie became the first Super League team to reward their players with professional contracts, which are made up of base salaries, a range of performance-related bonuses and also include maternity leave support and NRLW player options.

It was a groundbreaking move, one that could benefit the club as much as the players after taking a weight off the shoulders of the women in Lindsay Anfield's squad.

"It was about rewarding the players as people," director of rugby Anfield told The Yorkshire Post.

"Now they don't have to worry about whether we win or lose games or trophies; they are going to be looked after by the club and can rely on that every month.

"Clubs are now paying match payments which were unheard of two or three years ago. It's fantastic, don't get me wrong, but equally if a player gets injured or pregnant, they get nothing at all – and they're probably going to have to do more work to get back up to playing level.