Jodie Cunningham shares her thoughts on the growing of women's sport.

Jodie Cunningham is one of the most recognisable names in women’s rugby league. She represented England for many years, captaining her country on multiple occasions, and was part of the team that won the 2017 World Cup.

She was recently named the England Rugby League Women’s Player of the Year and is currently preparing for the Rugby League World Cup.

Jodie Cunningham, who hails from England, is a professional rugby league player. She recently moved to Australia to join the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NSWRL Women’s Premiership. Cunningham has represented her country at both Rugby League and Rugby Union, but it was League that she fell in love with first.

“I started playing when I was five years old. I played for my local team in England and it just went from there,” Cunningham told NRL.com. “My dad is a big rugby league fan so he got me into it. I used to go and watch Bradford Bulls with him when I was younger.”

Cunningham progressed through the ranks, playing for England at both Rugby League and Rugby Union. But it was League that she always wanted to pursue as a career. “I always knew I wanted to play rugby league professionally,” she said. “I played union for England but my heart has always been in league. I’ve always loved the game and it’s the game I want to play.”

Jodie got her big break when she was signed by Super League club, St Helens, in 2013. She spent four years there, before making the move to Australia with the Rabbitohs. “It’s a great opportunity to come and play in Australia,” she said. “I want to test myself against the best players in the world and there are some great players here in Australia. I’m really looking forward to the challenge.”

The move to Australia has been a big step in Cunningham’s career, but she believes it’s one that will help her develop as a player. “It’s a tough competition here and I think it will only make me a better player,” she said. “I want to learn as much as I can while I’m here and I think it will be a great experience for me.”

Cunningham is one of a number of English players to have made the move to Australia in recent years, as the Women’s game continues to grow in popularity. “The Women’s game is definitely growing, especially in England,” Jodie said. “There are more and more girls playing the game and it’s great to see. I think the game has a bright future.”

Cunningham is hoping to help grow the game even further while she is in Australia, and she is already sharing her knowledge with the younger players at the Rabbitohs. “I’ve been working with the Under 18s girls and it’s been great to see how much they love the game,” she said. “They are so enthusiastic and they want to learn. It’s great to see the game growing at all levels.”

Since retiring from playing, Jodie has gone on to become a coach, and is now the Head Coach of the England Women’s Rugby League team.

In the latest episode of The Game Changers, Jodie shares her thoughts on the growth of women’s rugby league, both in England and internationally. She talks about how the game has changed during her career, and how she is now working to help grow the sport even further.

Jodie Cunningham: “It’s been a long time coming but we’re finally starting to see some real investment in women’s sport. For too long, women’s sport has been the poor relation when it comes to investment and media coverage. But finally, it feels like things are starting to change.”

“There’s been a real groundswell of support for women’s sport in recent years and I think that’s only going to continue. The more people who get behind women’s sport, the more investment we’ll see. And that investment is so important. It’s not just about the money, it’s about the platform and the coverage. Women’s sport deserves to be seen and heard.”

“We’ve made some great strides in recent years but there’s still a long way to go. I’m hopeful that the next few years will see even more progress and that someday, women’s sport will be given the same platform as men’s sport”, - says Jodie.

Jodie also discusses the importance of role models in sport, and how she is using her platform to inspire the next generation of rugby league players. This is a must-listen for anyone interested in the growth of women’s sport. Jodie is an inspiring leader and coach, and her insights are invaluable.

Make sure you subscribe to The Game Changers podcast to catch all the latest episodes.