Women’s Super League: St Helens star Rebecca Rotheram on her life in rugby league | Rugby League News | Sky Sports

Rebecca Rotheram can barely remember a time when rugby league did not feature in her life in one way or another.

Now full-back for St Helens in the Betfred Women’s Super League, the 23-year-old has grown up around the game thanks to her father’s lifelong involvement as a player, coach and now administrator.

Being the daughter of Dave Rotheram, the RFL’s chief on-field officer, meant her and her sister Jess were not only regulars in attendance during his time on the coaching staffs of London Broncos and St Helens, but also got behind-the-scenes access most others can only dream of.

Most notably, that included the 2004 Challenge Cup final in Cardiff where Saints defeated old rivals Wigan Warriors and the proud father got a picture with his daughters and the trophy. But although she got to meet her favourite player too, it was not all fun for Rebecca.

“I actually remember being really cranky that day – I was fuming,” Rotheram told Sky Sports.

“The dresses me and my sister had on, my Nan made them, and they must have been a surprise because I remember being really angry I had trainers on and not sandals, like any five-year-old would.

“[Former St Helens forward] Nick Fozzard was my favourite player and I got to meet him that day, so that was pretty cool.

“It was a good day out because it was in Cardiff as well and then Dad brought the trophies into school, so I was the coolest kid.”

It was not rugby which was Rotheram’s first sporting love when it came to playing though. She was good enough at netball to play to county level and played the mixed-sex sport of korfball too, along with competing in the solo pursuits of swimming and athletics in her youth as well.

But while the oval ball always held an interest given her family connection, it took encouragement from school friends like her now St Helens team-mate Pip Birchall for her to actually pick one up in anger and since doing so she has never looked back.

“I always watched rugby and would go to the games, but I’d never picked up a rugby ball,” Rotheram said.