156. Julia Lee – rugby league trailblazer

To mark International Women’s Day 2021, this episode talks to Julia Lee, one of the true pioneers of British rugby league. Julia was the first women ever to referee a men’s professional rugby match of any code anywhere in the world. She’s also been a trailblazer in the administration of the sport, has had a play written about her career, and is now collecting the memories of women who have been involved in the game since the 1970s.

She reflects on the obstacles she faced in the game and the challenges that women still face in the quest for equality not just in rugby league but also in sport and society in general.

For more on the history of rugby and the other football codes, take a look at www.rugbyreloaded.com (where you can find the links for this episode) and follow me on Twitter at @collinstony