Of those directly affected institutions who already have and compete in women’s rugby league events, 100% responded to the consultation and 100% of those respondents supported the adoption of the event. The move to implementation recognises several years of collaborative work between the Rugby Football League (RFL) and BUCS to develop a sustainable, student-focused delivery model for the format.
The decision follows a successful proof of concept that has seen 1-2 Women’s 9s events delivered each season; 2024–25 was the third season of Women’s 9s at university level. A most recent showcase event on 19 October at Castleford Panthers brought together seven teams, with Northumbria 1s claiming first place, a strong demonstration of competitive appetite and organisational readiness across the student game.
Match officials will continue to be appointed centrally by the RFL as they are for existing events, and the RFL, working with BUCS, will continue to offer student-specific courses to grow the pool of available match officials. This approach means there will be no additional strain on resource or funding for institutions as implementation proceeds.
Thomas Brindle, Head of Development at the RFL, said: “We are thrilled that women's rugby league will have a BUCS event from 2026. Growth in this sector is of high strategic importance in our current growth cycle, and recognition of the by the SRIG is a key stepping stone which will hopefully lead to a fruitful future of partnerships in the university sector. This announcement underpins a period of significant growth across the wider women & girls sector and signals to our rugby league playing communities that they can now continue their journey whilst at university. It builds on the back of the successful implementation of National League for men as a period of notable progression for rugby league in university sport. We look forward to continuing the journey and increasing our strong partnership with BUCS and the member institutions”
Will Roberts, BUCS CEO, said: “It’s an exciting time for BUCS sport with flag football having recently progressed through our making changes to BUCS competitions framework, and Women's Rugby League 9s is now moving to the implementation stage of our Sport Review process. We’re grateful to the Rugby Football League for their sustained support of the higher education space over the last three seasons, and this new adoption is the latest achievement delivered through our funding agreement. We must continue to be transparent with the RFL and our member institutions during this next phase, with the ultimate aim of ensuring gender balance in access to BUCS sport.”
Ed Nicholas, Independent Chair of the Sport Review Implementation Group, added: “I’m delighted to see Women’s Rugby League 9s move to the next stage of the Sport Review process. Credit is due to the RFL and the BUCS Rugby League Coordinator for their sustained work to get to this point. This progression as the second sport to move through the new framework, demonstrates the robustness of the process and the value of close partnership between governing bodies and member institutions.”
Next steps
BUCS and the RFL will reach out to all institutions during the implementation phase, ahead of final confirmation of adoption.
