Lois Forsell

Lois Forsell (born 26 July 1991) is a rugby league football coach and former player. She is currently the head coach of Leeds Rhinos Women. During her playing career, she played as a hooker. Forsell has played for Hunslet Women, Bradford Bulls Women, and finished her career at Leeds Rhinos Women in the RFL Women's Super League. She has represented England and Yorkshire at international and intercounty level.

Lois Forsell
Personal information
Born (1991-07-26) 26 July 1991[1]
Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
Playing information
PositionHooker
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2007–12 Hunslet Hawks
2012–17 Bradford Bulls Women
2018 Leeds Rhinos Women
Total 0 0 0 0 0
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2009 England 18
2018 Yorkshire 1
Coaching information
Club
Years Team Gms W D L W%
2020– Leeds Rhinos Women
Representative
Years Team Gms W D L W%
2022– England Women's Knights

Playing career

Forsell joined Hunslet Ladies (then known as Middleton) before moving to Bradford Bulls in 2012. In 2017 Forsell was a member of the Bradford Bulls team that completed the treble - winning the Grand Final, League Leaders Shield and Challenge Cup in the same season - and went unbeaten all season.[2][3] Forsell was named Player of the Match in the inaugural Grand Final.[4]

At the end of the 2017 season Forsell was signed for the newly formed Leeds Rhinos Women's team and was named captain of the team for 2018.[2][5] In her first season charge she led Leeds to victory in the Challenge Cup and top of the league to win the League Leader's Shield but the treble eluded them as they lost the Grand Final to Wigan Warriors - a game Forsell missed through injury.[6] Forsell was nominated for the Woman of Steel award in 2018 but lost out to Castleford Tiger Georgia Roche.[7]

In September 2018 Forsell suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury which required surgery. Recovery from the surgery prevented her from playing during the 2019 season and a check up towards the end of the season revealed that further surgery would be needed with no guarantee that it would enable Forsell to play again. Forsell therefore decided to retire from playing.[8]

Forsell is a development officer for the Leeds Rhinos Foundation and is the RFL's first women's player ambassador.[9]

International career

Forsell made her debut for the England team in 2009 and was sent off in her first test match.[10] Subsequently she played in two World Cups (2013 and 2017 Women's Rugby League World Cup and was vice-captain for the 2017 tournament.[9]

Coaching career

In February 2020 Forsell was named as the new head coach of the Rhinos women's team replacing Adam Cuthbertson.[11]

Media career

Following her retirement Forsell was announced as one of the presenters of the Sky Sports rugby league show Inside Super League.[12]

References
  1. "Lois Forsell". Leeds Rhinos. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  2. "Bradford Bulls: Lois Forsell leaves with fond memories as she joins Leeds Rhinos". Telegraph & Argus. 21 December 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  3. "Bradford Bulls' Lois Forsell to the fore in growing women's rugby". Yorkshire Post. 21 October 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  4. "Bradford Bulls become first-ever Women's Super League champions". Rugby Football League. 8 October 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  5. "Lois Forsell named as first ever captain of Leeds Rhinos Women's team". Yorkshire Evening Post. 8 March 2018.
  6. "Last-gasp glory for Warriors". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 3, 143. 15 October 2018. p. 24.
  7. "Roche caps magnificent season by being named inaugural Woman of Steel". Dewsbury Reporter. 11 October 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  8. "Lois Forsell retires after ACL injury". Total RL. 23 October 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  9. "Lois Forsell announced as first-ever Women's Player Ambassador". Rugby Football League. 3 April 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  10. "A tour de force" (PDF). The Rugby League Bulletin. No. 68. December 2010. pp. 10–11.
  11. "New Leeds Rhinos women's team coach Lois Forsell welcomes "exciting" challenge". Yorkshire Evening Post. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  12. "Sky Sports to launch new Super League TV show". Love Rugby League. 24 January 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
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