Women's State of Origin
| Company type | Sports competition |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rugby league |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Australia |
| Products | Women's rugby league matches |
The Women's State of Origin is an annual rugby league contest featuring two premier Australian state representative women's teams: the New South Wales Blues and the Queensland Maroons.
Originally introduced in 1999 under the title Women's Interstate Challenge, the event was rebranded as State of Origin starting in 2018. Queensland secured victory in the very first encounter and maintained an undefeated streak for 17 years until New South Wales achieved their inaugural win in 2016.
Women's Interstate Challenge (1999–2017)
Although women's rugby league was established in Australia as early as 1921, the first official representative match between Queensland and New South Wales took place in 1999 at Brisbane’s ANZ Stadium, where Queensland emerged victorious with a score of 16–6.
The early documentation of the Interstate Challenge is incomplete due to the competition being administered separately by the Queensland Women's Rugby League and the New South Wales Women's Rugby League, both affiliated with their respective state leagues. Prior to adopting the State of Origin identity, the teams were not referred to as 'Blues' or 'Maroons'; Queensland’s side was known as the 'Brolgas'. Starting in 2005, the competing teams vied for the Nellie Doherty Cup, named to honor one of Australia’s pioneers in women’s rugby league.
While most years featured a single fixture, some seasons included series formats, such as those held in 2004 and 2008. In 2015, Queensland was held to a draw for the first time, finishing 4–4 against New South Wales but retaining possession of the Nellie Doherty Cup. New South Wales ended Queensland’s 17-year winning run with an 8–4 triumph in 2016, followed by a commanding 22–6 win in 2017—the final year before rebranding to State of Origin.
State of Origin (2018–present)
On 6 December 2017, the National Rugby League officially renamed the Women's Interstate Challenge as the Women's State of Origin. Transitioning from a preliminary match to a standalone fixture, it gained live broadcast coverage on both the Nine Network and Fox Sports. The traditional Nellie Doherty Cup was replaced by a shield trophy, while the player awarded best on ground now receives the Nellie Doherty Medal.
The inaugural Women's State of Origin match took place on 22 June 2018 at North Sydney Oval, where New South Wales defeated Queensland 16–10. Blues centre Isabelle Kelly, who scored two tries, became the first recipient of the Nellie Doherty Medal. On 21 June 2019, New South Wales claimed their fourth straight victory by overcoming Queensland 14–4 at North Sydney Oval, with halfback Maddie Studdon honored as player of the match.
Originally slated for June at Sunshine Coast Stadium, the 2020 fixture was postponed until after the regular season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and hosted in Queensland for the first time since 2016. Queensland triumphed over New South Wales 24–18, marking their first official State of Origin win and breaking their six-year drought since their last victory in 2014.
The 2021 contest represented a significant milestone as it became the first Women's State of Origin game featuring exclusively female players, coaches, and on-field officials.
Broadcasting
Within Australia, matches are simultaneously televised on both the Nine Network and Fox Sports. In 2013 and 2014, coverage was provided via livestreaming platforms, while Fox Sports broadcast delayed replays during 2015 and 2016. The fixture was shown live on Fox Sports for the first time in 2017.
Selection criteria
Before 2019, team selections for Queensland and New South Wales largely relied on residency regulations, which permitted some athletes to represent both states at different times. For instance, Tahnee Norris, who captained Queensland, and Natalie Dwyer had previously played for New South Wales before switching allegiances. Similarly, Tarah Westera initially represented Queensland but later moved to Penrith, played for New South Wales, and eventually returned to Queensland.
In 2019, the eligibility framework was revised to more closely mirror the men's State of Origin guidelines by eliminating residency as a factor. This adjustment resulted in New Zealand representatives Maitua Feterika (Queensland) and Nita Maynard (New South Wales) becoming ineligible. Rona Peters of Queensland was initially excluded due to her prior representation of New Zealand; however, she was granted a special exemption after retiring from international rugby league in 2015, preceding her debut for Queensland in 2016.
Nellie Doherty Medal
The Nellie Doherty Medal is awarded to the standout player of the Women's State of Origin series. Introduced in 2018, the inaugural recipient was New South Wales' Isabelle Kelly following the first official match. Kelly is distinguished as the only player to have earned this accolade twice, achieving it again in 2022.
| Year | Player | State | Position | Club | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Isabelle Kelly | New South Wales | Template:Rlp | Template:Leagueicon CRL Newcastle | [1] |
| 2019 | Maddie Studdon | New South Wales | Template:Rlp | Template:Leagueicon Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
|
| 2020 | Tarryn Aiken | Queensland | Template:Rlp | Template:Leagueicon Brisbane Broncos | Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
|
| 2021 | Tazmin Gray | Queensland | Template:Rlp | Template:Leagueicon Burleigh Bears | Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
|
| 2022 | Isabelle Kelly | New South Wales | Template:Rlp | Template:Leagueicon Sydney Roosters | [2] |
| 2023 | Tazmin Gray | Queensland | Template:Rlp | Template:Leagueicon Brisbane Broncos | Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
|
| 2024 | Shannon Mato | Queensland | Template:Rlp | Template:Leagueicon Gold Coast Titans | [3] |
| 2025 | Olivia Kernick | New South Wales | Template:Rlp | Template:Rlw team | Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
|
Match outcomes
Historical documentation of the Women's Interstate Challenge results was inconsistently preserved by both the QRL and NSWRL. On three occasions—2004, 2008, and 2023—two matches were conducted instead of a single encounter. The competition transitioned to a best-of-three series format beginning in 2024.
| Year | Champion | Series Result | Individual MatchesCite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content
|
References | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | ||||
| 1999 | Queensland | 1–0 | Q 18–16 | — | ||
| 2000 | Queensland | 1–0 | Q ?–? | — | ||
| 2001 | Queensland | 1–0 | Q 34–14 | — | ||
| 2002 | Queensland | 1–0 | Q 26–16 | — | ||
| 2003 | Queensland | 1–0 | Q ?–? | — | ||
| 2004 | Queensland | 2–0 | Q 40–8 | Q 46–8 | —" | |
| 2005 | Queensland | 1–0 | "Q 20–18" | data-sort-value="" style="background: var(--background-color-interactive, #ececec); color: var(--color-base, inherit); vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — | ||
| "2006" | Queensland | "1-0" | "Q 40-24" | data-sort-value="" style="background: var(--background-color-interactive, #ececec); color: var(--color-base, inherit); vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — | ||
| "2007" | Queensland | "1-0" | "Q 38-16" | data-sort-value="" style="background: var(--background-color-interactive, #ececec); color: var(--color-base, inherit); vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — | ||
| "2008" | Queensland | "2-0" | "Q 8-6" | "Q 46-4" | —" | |
| "2009" | Queensland | "1-0" | "Q 20-14" | data-sort-value="" style="background: var(--background-color-interactive, #ececec); color: var(--color-base, inherit); vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — | ||
| "2010" | Queensland | "1-0" | "Q 36-6" | data-sort-value="" style="background: var(--background-color-interactive, #ececec); color: var(--color-base, inherit); vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — | ||
| "2011" | Queensland | "1-0" | "Q 26-0" | data-sort-value="" style="background: var(--background-color-interactive, #ececec); color: var(--color-base, inherit); vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — | ||
| "2012" | Queensland | "1-0" | "Q 34-10" | data-sort-value="" style="background: var(--background-color-interactive, #ececec); color: var(--color-base, inherit); vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — | ||
| "2013" | Queensland | "1-0" | "Q 30-12" | data-sort-value="" style="background: var(--background-color-interactive, #ececec); color: var(--color-base, inherit); vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — | ||
| "2014" | Queensland | "1-0" | "Q 26-10" | data-sort-value="" style="background: var(--background-color-interactive, #ececec); color: var(--color-base, inherit); vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — | ||
| "2015" | Draw | '0-0' | 'D 4-4' | data-sort-value="" style="background: var(--background-color-interactive, #ececec); color: var(--color-base, inherit); vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — | ||
| '2016' | New South Wales | '1-0' | 'N 8-4' | data-sort-value="" style="background: var(--background-color-interactive, #ececec); color: var(--color-base, inherit); vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — | ||
| '2017' | New South Wales | '1-0' | 'N 22-6' | data-sort-value="" style="background: var(--background-color-interactive, #ececec); color: var(--color-base, inherit); vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — | ||
| '2018' | New South Wales | '1-0' | 'N 16-10' | data-sort-value="" style="background: var(--background-color-interactive, #ececec); color: var(--color-base, inherit); vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — | ||
| '2019' | New South Wales | '1-0' | 'N 14-4' | data-sort-value="" style="background: var(--background-color-interactive, #ececec); color: var(--color-base, inherit); vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — | ||
| '2020' | Queensland | '1-0' | 'Q 24-18' | data-sort-value="" style="background: var(--background-color-interactive, #ececec); color: var(--color-base, inherit); vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — | ||
| '2021' | Queensland | '1-0' | 'Q 8-6' | data-sort-value="" style="background: var(--background-color-interactive, #ececec); color: var(--color-base, inherit); vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — | ||
| '2022' | New South Wales | '1-0' | 'N 20-14' | data-sort-value="" style="background: var(--background-color-interactive, #ececec); color: var(--color-base, inherit); vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — | ||
| '2023' | Queensland | '1-1 (aggregate points)' | 'Q 18-10' | 'N 18-14' | —' | |
| '2024' | Queensland | '2-1' | 'N 22-12' | 'Q 11-10' | 'Q 22-6' | |
| '2025' | New South Wales | '2-1' | 'N 32-12' | 'N 26-6' | 'Q 18-14' | |
Under-19s
In 2019, a Women's Under 18s game was held as a preliminary event before the Women's State of Origin, with New South Wales securing a 24–4 victory. The first-ever Women's Under 19s State of Origin contest occurred in 2021.
| Year | Champion | Result | Report |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | New South Wales | 16–12 | [4] |
| 2022 | New South Wales | 22–6 | Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
|
| 2023 | Queensland | 20–14 | Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
|
| 2024 | New South Wales | 46–4 | Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
|
| 2025 | New South Wales | 26–10 | Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
|
See also
- NRL Women's Premiership
- NSWRL Women's Premiership
- QRL Women's Premiership
- State of Origin series
- Rugby league in Australia
- Australian regional rivals – NSW vs. QLD
External links
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedKelly2022 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named2024 Nellie Doherty Medal won by Shannon Mato - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named2021U19
- Pages with reference errors
- Articles with short description
- State of Origin series
- 1999 establishments in Australia
- Women's rugby league competitions in Australia
- Rugby league rivalries
- Rugby league in Queensland
- Rugby league in New South Wales
- Annual sporting events in Australia
- Recurring sporting events established in 1999
- Sports leagues established in 1999
- Nine's Wide World of Sports
- Sports rivalries in Australia
- Winter in Australia