Bradford Bulls Women
Club information
Full nameBradford Bulls Women
Nickname(s)Bulls
Founded1999 (as Dudley Hill Thunderbirds)
Current details
Ground(s)
CoachConnor Matheson
CompetitionWomen's Super League
2023 Season5th (Group 2)
Records
Women's Super League1 (2017)
Challenge Cups1 (2017)

The Bradford Bulls Women are an English professional women's rugby league team based in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Formed in 1999 as an autonomous club, Dudley Hill Thunderbirds, the team was also known as Bradford Thunderbirds and Bradford Clayton Thunderbirds. As the Thunderbirds the club played in the Women's Rugby League Conference and later the Women's Rugby League.[1]

History

1999–2011: Origins

The club were founded in 1999 as Dudley Hill Thunderbirds to partner the men's Dudley Hill team. Later on the Thunderbirds and Dudley Hill split and became Bradford Clayton Thunderbirds to reflect playing in the Clayton area of Bradford and later just becoming Bradford Thunderbirds. Since there was no official league for many years they played sporadic fixtures until leagues started being formed such as the Women's Rugby League Conference in 2008 which gave the Thunderbirds and women's rugby league more competitive games. They also won regional leagues of the competition.

2012–2013: Challenge Cup

The RFL Women's Challenge Cup was founded in 2012 to give the Women's Conference a competitive cup competition. Bradford had some early success in the cup appearing in the first two editions, losing both to Featherstone Rovers and Thatto Heath Crusaders respectively.

2014–2016: Women's Rugby League

In 2012 the club entered the newly formed RFL Women's Rugby League alongside mostly men's community clubs that ran a women's team. In 2014, the club lost a third consecutive Challenge Cup Final to Thatto Heath Crusaders 32–24. They also reached the Premiership Play-Off final.[2]

After the early success and more popularity in Bradford women's rugby league, the club dropped the Thunderbirds moniker and linked up with the Bradford Bulls adopting the Bulls' colours, name and playing at Odsal Stadium.[3] In their first season as the Bulls they reached a second Grand Final in three years, although they lost 36-8 to treble winners Thatto Heath Crusaders.[4]

2017–present: Super League

After the 2016 season the Women's Rugby League was disbanded and new competition was set up. The Women's Super League was set up in 2017 to give the sport a bigger profile and more professionalism. The first edition featured only four clubs with Bradford finishing first at the end of the season and going onto win the Grand Final 36–6 against Featherstone.[5] This win completed a league and cup double for the team as earlier in the season they had won the Women's Challenge Cup beating Featherstone Ladies 50–16.[6] On 22 December 2023, the Bradford Bulls Foundation announced that Connor Matheson had been appointed as Head Coach.[7]

Players

2023 Squad

Bradford Bulls Women 2022 squad
First team squad Coaching staff
  • Bethany MacMillan – FB



Legend:
  • (c) Captain(s)
  • (vc) Vice-captain(s)


Seasons

Season League Play-offs Challenge
Cup
Division P W D L F A Pts Pos
2012 RLC Premier 14Unknown18 3rd[8] Lost in Grand Final[8] RU
2013 1190238019518 2nd[9] Lost in Grand Final[10] RU
2014 WRL Unknown Lost in Grand Final[2] RU
2015 14110356022122 3rd[3][11] Lost in Round 2[12]  ?
2016 Unknown Lost in Grand Final[4] SF[13]
2017 Super League 66003007612 1st Won in Grand Final W
2018 Super League 1250729231210 5th Did not qualify R2
2019 Super League 134183002829 6th Did not qualify QF
2020 Super League Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Super League 82061282944 9th Did not qualify QF
2022 Super League (G2) 1260620229612 4th Did not qualify GS
2023 Super League (G2) 102171243505 5th Lost in Semi Final GS

Honours

Leagues

Winners (1): 2017
Runners up (2): 2014, 2016

Cups

Winners (1): 2017
Runners up (3): 2012, 2013, 2014

References

  1. ↑ Ben Turner (30 May 2013). "Thunderbirds ready to take on the world". Telegraph & Argus. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Thatto are just champion". Rugby-League.com. 6 October 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Club of the Week: Bradford Bulls Women". Rugby Football League. 11 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Leigh Miners and Thatto Heath take the honours at Grand Finals Day". 4 The Love Of Sport. 2 October 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  5. ↑ "Bradford Bulls become first-ever Women's Super League champions". Rugby Football League. 8 October 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  6. ↑ Bill Marshall (30 July 2017). "Bradford Bulls women win Challenge Cup". Telegraph & Argus. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  7. ↑ "Bradford Bulls Foundation welcomes new head coach of women's team". Bradford Bulls. 22 December 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Women's Rugby League". Women's Rugby League. Archived from the original on 29 December 2012.
  9. ↑ "Premier League Table". Women's Rugby league. Archived from the original on 14 January 2014.
  10. ↑ "News". Women's Rugby League. Archived from the original on 14 January 2014.
  11. ↑ "Premier league table". Women's Super League. Archived from the original on 13 November 2015.
  12. ↑ "Women's Rugby League Play Offs : 27 September 2015". 4 The Love Of Sport. 27 September 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  13. ↑ "Womens Weekly Round up". Rugby-League.com. 18 July 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
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