Emily Rudge

Emily Rudge
Personal information
Full nameEmily Kate Rudge
Born (1991-11-11) 11 November 1991 (age 33)
Warrington, England
Playing information
PositionSecond-row
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2013–14 Thatto Heath Crusaders
2015 Featherstone Rovers
2016–17 Thatto Heath Crusaders
2018– St Helens 27 15 0 0 60
Total 27 15 0 0 60
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2008– England 29 15 0 0 60
Source: [1][2]
As of 14 November 2022

Emily Rudge is a British rugby league player who plays for St Helens Women in the Women's Super League. She plays at second-row.[1] Born in Warrington Rudge attended Cardinal Newman High School[2] and first played rugby league for a local Warrington club before joining Thatto Heath Crusaders. While at Warrington she was first selected for the England women's national rugby league team in 2008, aged 16.[3][4] In 2011, Rudge was in the Warrington team that won the Championship Final of the Women's Rugby League Conference in August,[5] before joining for Featherstone Rovers for the interim season before the launch of the first summer-based season.[6][7]

In 2014, Rudge scored tries for Thatto Heath in their 32–24 Challenge Cup final and Premier Division 36–14 play-off final wins over the Bradford Thunderbirds.[8][9] In June 2015, while at back at Featherstone Rovers, Rudge was part of the England team that played a two-match series against France.[10][11] Rudge was part of the Featherstone team that reached the 2015 Championship final, losing 18–12 to Thatto Heath.[12] The following season she returned to Thatto Heath and scored twice in their 62–6 Challenge Cup final win over the Leigh Miners Rangers,[13] and once in their Grand Final win over the Bradford Bulls.[14]

At the end of the 2018 season Rudge was named captain of the England team for the test match against France and in 2019 was named as England captain for the World 9s tournament in Australia in October 2019 and also the two-match test series against Papua New Guinea in November 2019.[15][16] In the first test match against Papua New Guinea on 9 November 2019 Rudge became the first England player to score four tries in a test match as England won 24–10.[17]

Rudge was one of the three nominees for the 2019 Telegraph Woman of Steel award but lost out to Leeds' Courtney Hill.[2][18]

In March 2023, Rudge stepped down from her role as England captain and was succeeded by Jodie Cunningham.[19][20]

Away from rugby Rudge is a PE teacher at a high school in St Helens.[21] Rudge is married to Gemma Walsh who also played in the Women's Super League for St Helens' rivals Wigan Warriors Women.[4]

Test match appearances

With her appearance in the October 2021 test match against France, Rudge equalled the record for most test match caps, 24, for England women's national rugby league team.[22]

Cap Date Opponent Tries
1 10 Nov 2008  Australia
2 12 Nov 2008  New Zealand
3 18 Jul 2009  France 1
4 25 Jul 2009  France 1
5 2 Jul 2011  France 2
6 6 Jul 2011  France
7 15 Jun 2012  France 2
8 5 Jul 2013  Australia
9 8 Jul 2013  New Zealand
10 11 Jul 2013  France
11 13 Jul 2013  France
12 17 Jun 2015  France
13 20 Jun 2015  France
14 22 Oct 2016  France
15 21 Jun 2017  France
16 16 Nov 2017  Papua New Guinea
17 19 Nov 2017  Australia
18 22 Nov 2017  Cook Islands
19 26 Nov 2017  New Zealand
20 27 Oct 2018  France
21 9 Nov 2019  Papua New Guinea 4
22 16 Nov 2019  Papua New Guinea 1
23 25 Jun 2021  Wales 2
24 23 Oct 2021  France 2

References

  1. ^ "Emily Rudge". Saints. St Helen's R.F.C. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Warrington-born Emily Rudge nominated for Woman of Steel". Warrington Guardian. 12 September 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  3. ^ "England Women". England Rugby League. Archived from the original on 7 October 2008.
  4. ^ a b "'You love that person...but you also want them to lose': Meet the married couple going head to head as Women's Super League kicks off". The Daily Telegraph. 6 April 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  5. ^ "RLC Women's Final". RFL. 22 August 2011. Archived from the original on 26 September 2011.
  6. ^ "RFL Women's League week two". therfl.co.uk. 3 October 2011. Archived from the original on 26 October 2011.
  7. ^ "RFL Womens Rugby League kicks off". therfl.co.uk. 22 September 2011. Archived from the original on 26 October 2011.
  8. ^ "Amateur game: Women's Rugby League round-up". Total RL. 4 August 2014. Archived from the original on 5 April 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  9. ^ "Thatto are just champion". Rugby-League.com. 6 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  10. ^ "England Women Triumphant in Tonneins Against France". Rugby-League.com. 17 June 2015. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  11. ^ Powell, Jennie (21 June 2015). "England Rugby League team in terrific fightback against France". 4 The Love of Sport. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  12. ^ Powell, Jennie (5 October 2015). "Thatto Heath – Grand Final Champions!". 4 The Love of Sport. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  13. ^ Powell, Jennie (1 August 2016). "Women's Rugby League Challenge Cup Final". 4 The Love of Sport. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  14. ^ "Leigh Miners and Thatto Heath take the honours at Grand Finals Day". 4 The Love Of Sport. 2 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  15. ^ "Emily Rudge to captain England Women in France". Rugby Football League. 26 October 2018. Archived from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  16. ^ "Emily Rudge: St Helens back-rower to captain England on winter tour". BBC Sport. 11 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  17. ^ "Papua New Guinea 10-24 England: Emily Rudge scores four tries". BBC Sport. 9 November 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  18. ^ "Jackson Hastings: Salford Red Devils half-back wins 2019 Steve Prescott Man of Steel award". BBC Sport. 6 October 2019.
  19. ^ "Stuart Barrow leads praise for Emily Rudge's contribution as England captain". Rugby-League.com. 28 March 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  20. ^ "Jodie Cunningham announced as England Women Captain". Rugby-League.com. 12 April 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  21. ^ "St Helens RL ace Emily Rudge flies flag for the women's game". St Helens Reporter. 8 March 2019. Archived from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  22. ^ "Rudge to Captain England Women". Saints RLFC. 26 October 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2021.