Beaten Leeds rugby league team awarded Cup final win after Featherstone-based opponents disqualified

West Leeds were beaten 24-10 by Featherstone Lionesses in April’s Women’s Rugby

League Association (WRLA) Challenge Cup decider at Featherstone Rovers’ ground.

But an investigation was launched the day after the game following claims Featherstone had fielded an unregistered player and they have now been stripped of the trophy with West Leeds being awarded a 24-0 win.

The WRLA say Lionesses were made aware of a disciplinary case against them, but did not respond or attend a disciplinary hearing and were found guilty in their absence.

They were also fined £100, suspended for 12 months.

The final was the first of its kind to be streamed on the RFL’s Our League website.

The association’s chairman Steve Manning said: “I would like to congratulate West Leeds Ladies on winning the 2022 WRLA Challenge Cup, although the whole circumstances leave a bitter taste within WRLA.

“From the beginning of the allegation and subsequent enquiry, no-one from the Lionesses, who are part of the Featherstone Lions ARLFC club, contacted us.

“On the evening prior to the final, through speaking to the Lionesses’ coaching staff, WRLA were aware of their problems with the player squad and up to the final itself worked with them with the information they gave us.

“Sadly their coaches decided to field an unregistered player, playing under an assumed name so they had a 17-player squad on the day.”

Manning added: “The coaches and some of the players who played in that final have now moved on to Super League club and whatever happens next is an issue for that club.

“Although feeling sorry for the current Featherstone Lionesses who are playing this summer, WRLA had to act for the integrity of WRLA, the women’s game as a whole and took no pleasure in making the decisions we had to make regarding this matter.

“It’s such a shame that the first ever live streaming of a WRLA Challenge Cup Final has ended up in these sad circumstances.

“WRLA are now arranging to present the Challenge Cup and the matter is now closed.”