Workington Town Ladies are aiming to go one better and win their league in 2026 after finishing third in their first season in Women’s Rugby League One.
The team was only created three years ago and manager Janette Fearon has praised the players’ determination and team spirit, pushing them on to exceed expectations which saw them still pushing for second place until the final matches of the season.
She said: “We came up from League Two into League One this year, and I said, as long as we play competitive rugby, that’s great. Nobody was expecting us to do as well as we did. But we gave our all in each game and we could have got higher. We could have come second – we just missed out.
“We should be in contention for the league next season.”
The eight-strong league was won by Widnes Vikings with Wakefield Trinity finishing second and beating Workington in the play-offs.
But Janette was still “chuffed” with their performance which saw the team overcome numerous obstacles including managing a squad of up to 36 players aged from 17 to 43, and the hours of travel to away games from their West Cumbrian home – away travel was sponsored by Workington windows firm Kevin Dickinson Ltd.
The squad was strengthened by players who had studied at Northumbria University and Janette highlighted the performances of hooker Sophie Price and Josie Scrimgour, mostly at scrum half with “her ability to find an open space and run with the ball”.
This season follows one of very mixed emotions last year as Workington Ladies won three pieces of silverware but had to cope with the death of manager Sue Grimley, Janette’s friend who she stepped up to replace.
The success of the 2025 campaign was made possible in part by continued support from full-fibre broadband provider Fibrus, whose sponsorship and community backing have helped sustain the club’s growth.
“It’s been absolutely fantastic,” said Janette. “They’ve been with us for the past two years and they give us quite a bit of coverage on their social media. It’s absolutely great that they back us, especially women’s rugby because it’s getting more and more popular. I want to thank them for everything they’ve done for us.”
Janette is hopeful that the success of England in winning the recent Women’s World Cup, albeit in rugby union, will benefit the sport as a whole.
“The women’s side has gotten even more popular over the last two years. The women who play for clubs like St Helens, Wigan and Leeds, they get paid now. So, in years to come, some of our 17 or 18-year-olds could be playing for those teams. They could be professionals – and they started out with us.”
Colin Hutchinson, Group MD & CFO of Fibrus, said: “Huge congratulations to Workington Town Ladies on an outstanding first season at this level. To follow promotion with a third-place finish is a fantastic achievement, and we are incredibly proud to be part of their journey. It has been a privilege to support the team as the women’s game continues to grow, and we look forward to seeing what they go on to achieve next season.”
