2025 Women’s Origin, Match 2
At Boundary Park, Oldham
Lancashire 20 Yorkshire 16
Lancashire win series 2-0
Lancashire maintained their dominance of the Origin rivalry in Women’s Rugby League, but only after a stirring second-half fightback by Yorkshire.
The Red Rose women had romped to a 50-8 victory in the first match of the season at Hull KR in August, and looked on course for another comfortable win when the Wigan forward Mary Coleman surged over to establish a 16-0 lead early in the second half.
But Lois Forsell’s Tykes surged back, inspired by a long-range interception from the York Valkyrie three-quarter Emma Kershaw, and reduced the deficit to 16-14 through tries from Phoebe Hook, Tamzin Renouf and Origin debutant Evie Sexton.
At that stage, the teams were separated by a superb touchline conversion from Lancashire’s Wigan half-back Issy Rowe to the team’s second try by Anna Davies late in the first half.
But Davies and Lancashire had the last word with a slick try deep into stoppage time, with the Wigan wing crossing in the right corner after good handling from her Warriors team-mates Rowe and Georgia Wilson.
It was the second year in succession that Davies had scored a double for Lancashire at Oldham’s Boundary Park, and secured a 2-0 series victory for her team again for the second consecutive year.
Eboni Partington had scored the first try of the afternoon after good work from the St Helens hooker Katie Mottershead, who was the usual handful around the rucks despite suffering from illness in the build-up to the match.
Lancashire’s coach Derek Hardman highlighted the contributions of the four Red Rose front-row forwards, with Coleman and Vicky Whitfield laying the platform and Wigan’s Mia-Jayne Atherton and Erin McDonald of St Helens, another Origin debutant, maintaining the standard from the interchange bench.
Caitlin Casey’s kicking game was instrumental in Yorkshire’s second-half fightback, while Shona Hoyle set the usual stirring example as captain.
Lancashire: Tries – Eboni Partington, Anna Davies 2, Mary Coleman; Goals – Issy Rowe 2.
Yorkshire: Tries – Phoebe Hook, Tamzin Renouf, Evie Sexton; Goal – Ruby Walker.
Referee: Tara Jones. Touch Judges: Rebecca Floyd and Erin Watson.
