Leeds Beckett hosts Women’s Super League Player and Coach Education Day on campus

Led by Thomas Bindle, Head of Development and General Manager of the Women's Super League, and Dr Sean Scallenbury, Senior Research Fellow at Leeds Beckett University and Lead Performance Coach for England Women's Rugby League, the event saw clubs including Saints, Leigh, Wigan, Barrow, Leeds, Huddersfield, Featherstone and York take part. The PaCE Day forms part of a wider programme designed to support the continued growth and professionalisation of the women's game.

Across the two days, players completed league-wide physical testing using Leeds Beckett's strength and conditioning suite, pitches and specialist equipment from Hawkin Dynamics, alongside education sessions covering topics such as nutrition, anti-doping, brain health and concussion. Coaches and staff also took part in continuing professional development sessions, using shared data and discussion to support long-term improvement across the league.

The PaCE Day brings the entire Women's Super League together in one place, which allows standardised testing to be carried out across an entire league.

Dr Sean Scallenbury explains: "It allows us to profile them from an anthropometric and a physical perspective which allows us to capture data on an entire league in terms of their strength, their power, their speed and their aerobic capacity."

"For us, it's about understanding the physical demands of the game and supporting players and coaches with evidence-informed practice."

For the Women's Super League, the partnership with Leeds Beckett is central to its development strategy. Thomas Bindle said: "We've been on a journey with the Women's Super League for a number of years, trying to elevate and improve the product."

"Having everyone together for league-wide testing helps us understand where players are, how they compare across teams, and what we need to do to support them to get fitter, faster and stronger. That ultimately builds a better game, and a better future for women's rugby league.

"We don't think we can do this without the likes of Leeds Beckett, they're fantastic partners for us."

The event also highlights the role Leeds Beckett plays in supporting women's sport at all levels, from elite performance to education and research. The university is home to England Women's Rugby League, with players regularly returning to campus for training camps ahead of a major international year.

Among those attending were Leeds Beckett students and alumna currently competing in the league, as well as Leeds Beckett Sport Hall of Fame alumna and Head Coach of Leeds Rhinos, Lois Forsell.

York Valkyrie and England Women's Rugby League player Tamzin Renouf returned to campus alongside her teammates, having completed her undergraduate degree and PGCE at Leeds Beckett. She said: "It's great being back at Beckett. The facilities here are so good, and we train here with England so it's a familiar environment for me. It's brilliant to bring the girls here and see everyone using facilities like this together."

Fellow England teammate and alumna Keara Bennett also attended the day with her Leeds Rhinos teammates. Keara said: "It epitomises how far the game has come for us girls to be able to come to a place like this. It's like a home away from home."

Alongside elite athletes, current Leeds Beckett students studying sport-related courses were embedded throughout the testing process, gaining hands-on experience working directly with professional players.

Sam, a third year Sport and Exercise Science student from America said: "Being involved in this testing is some of the best real-world experience you can get, using this unreal gym, getting to work with professional athletes in a very intimate setting, seeing how they've improved, it's a great experience."

Reece, a second year Sport and Exercise Science student added: "All the opportunities you get here, such as the PaCE day and supporting live testing are really brilliant and help with my aspirations to be a strength and conditioning coach."

The PaCE Day reflects Leeds Beckett's long-standing partnerships with organisations including England Rugby League and Women in Sport, and its commitment to creating learning environments where students are taught by practitioners actively working in the industry.

As the Women's Super League continues its development, the collaboration highlights the value of bringing elite sport, research and education together in one setting.