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Jodie Cunningham in mix for international rugby league's greatest individual prize
WARRINGTONIAN Jodie Cunningham is in contention to win women’s international rugby league’s biggest individual honour.
The 32-year-old former Cardinal Newman High School student has been named on the long list of players in the running to receive the women’s 2024 IRL Golden Boot.
England captain and a long-serving star in the St Helens Women’s Super League team, she is joined by a stack of talented players from Down Under as well as national teammates Isabelle Rowe and Anna Davies on the list of 25.
This follows their performances in England’s 82-0 destruction of Wales at Headingley on Saturday and the 42-0 mid-season international against France in Toulouse in June.
No England player has won the award since it was introduced to the women’s game in 2018.
Cunningham’s recognition follows on from Warrington Wolves stand-off and England captain George Williams being nominated for the men’s 2024 IRL Golden Boot – full details here
The women’s 2024 IRL Golden Boot winner will be judged by Australian Jillaroos great Karyn Murphy, New Zealand dual code superstar Honey Hireme-Smiler and England international Danika Priim.
Murphy, who made 27 international appearances and led the Jillaroos to their first World Cup triumph in 2013, was earlier this year among the first six female players inducted into the NRL Hall of Fame. She is a former NRL head of integrity and currently coaches the Gold Coast Titans in the NRLW.
Hireme-Smiler played in four World Cups for the Kiwi Ferns, including 2013 when she was captain and player of the tournament. She is now a leading commentator for Sky Sport NZ’s coverage of NRL, NRLW and rugby union.
Priim represented England at the 2017 World Cup and won Challenge Cup and Super League titles with Leeds before moving into commentary and media after her retirement in 2021. She was earlier this year appointed as a vice-president of the Rugby Football League.
IRL Chair Troy Grant said: “The strength of women’s rugby league has been on full display in 2024 as nations have fought for World Cup spots or those who already qualified have continued to lift standards.
“This has resulted in some great matches and performances that showcased women’s rugby league and the passion of the players to represent their nations.”
The IRL Golden Boot is awarded to the best player in sanctioned rugby league international matches each year.
The long list of women’s 2024 Golden Boot candidates was chosen by members of the international media.
Short lists for the men’s, women’s 2024 IRL Golden Boot awards will be announced after the Pacific Championships quadruple header in Sydney on Sunday, November 10.
Nominations for the wheelchair 2024 IRL Golden Boot will be announced after the second international between France and England on Saturday, November 23.
The winners of the 2024 IRL Golden Boot awards will be announced in early December.
Women’s 2024 IRL Golden Boot long list:
• Tarryn Aiken (Australia)
• Elsie Albert (Papua New Guinea)
• Annessa Biddle (New Zealand)
• Gayle Boughton (New Zealand)
• Yasmin Clydesdale (Jillaroos)
• Jodie Cunningham (England)
• Bethan Daintan (Wales)
• Anna Davies (England)
• Millie Elliott (Australia)
• Georgia Hale (New Zealand)
• Amber Hall (New Zealand)
• Filomina Hanisi (Tonga)
• Talei Holmes (Fiji)
• Annetta-Claudia Nu'uausala (Samoa)
• Carys Marsh (Wales)
• Evah McEwen (Samoa)
• Vitalina Naikore (Fiji)
• Evania Pelite (Samoa)
• Tiana Penitani (Australia)
• Ua Ravu (Papua New Guinea)
• Julia Robinson (Australia)
• Isabelle Rowe (England)
• Cassie Staples (Fiji)
• Crystal Tamarua (Cook Islands)
• Tamika Upton (Australia)
Previous women’s IRL Golden Boot winners
2018 Isabelle Kelly (Australia)
2019 Jess Sergis (Australia)
2020 No award given
2021 No award given
2022 Raecene McGregor (New Zealand)
2023 Georgia Hale (New Zealand)
