My Why: Jodie Cunningham | Part 2

Jodie Cunningham’s ‘My Why’ continued, as she tells us why she personally loves the game:

“Me playing – I love it because you're this unfiltered version of yourself when you're on the pitch, especially as a woman, because off the pitch you have all the insecurities and self-doubts and issues in the workplace. 

“Are you too loud? Are you too bossy, are you not forceful enough? Do you look OK? Are you too overdressed? Are you too underdressed? Do I look pretty enough? Should I have should have put makeup on. All of these things that are just genuine life challenges!

“Your mind runs riot most of the time on all of these different things, and actually on a pitch, your mind's quiet. You're just this unfiltered version of yourself while being extreme, really physical, being aggressive, and screaming at the top of your lungs is totally acceptable and actually applauded. 

“I can be just me, and I love every aspect of it.”

Even while the Women’s Super League and women’s game is thriving, Cunningham is aware that there are still plenty of challenges and mindsets that need changing:

“You’ll still see comments on social media posts on the Saints and Super League channels – even if it’s just a score update – and it’ll usually have multiple comments from men saying ‘what's the point’, ‘it’s useless’, ‘women playing sport and women trying to be like men bless’ – and you just get that constantly. 

“It baffles me because nobody is forcing you to look at it. It’s not nice knowing those comments are there and those attitudes still exist. But they're also drowned out a lot now too.

“The vast majority of comments nowadays are really positive and supportive, which is great because we’re trying to inspire so many people and young girls.”

But with the women’s game certainly heading in the right direction, Cunningham counts herself lucky every day and recognised the women who came before her:

“If you think I'm probably the first proper generation that's really had proper opportunity in this sport.

“I really feel for anyone older than these current players. The players that are older than me were incredible athletes and gave everything to the sport but didn’t get the rewards and opportunities that we get now.

“Then there’s the generation above that which didn't get to play at all. Look at Heather Lancaster who we've had presenting shirts are before the Challenge Cup - she tried to set up a Saints team once. She got the go ahead, and then the day before they were supposed to play a game, the board pulled her in and said, ‘I'm really sorry, we can't get you registered. You can't be insured because of health and safety’ and it all got canned.

“This was in the 70s that they should have been playing a game and it never ended up happening. Heather got in touch with us recently and was really emotional – she was so proud of what we’ve been doing but also bittersweet as she never got those opportunities just because she was a woman. 

?? The founder of the first ever St.Helens Women's team in 1978, Heather Lancaster, on how her team never made it to the field, but how proud she is of the next generation of Saints athletes!#COYS pic.twitter.com/l1bxFdlRyh

— St.Helens Women (@saints1890women) March 6, 2024

“And that makes me think, when I think it’s hard for me, I take a moment and realise how fortunate I really am. So actually, my why is also doing it for people like Heather doing it for people like your Andrea Dobsons and Lindsay Anfields who are incredible players in their own right and are now doing different things in the sport but people probably don’t recognise them as they were.

“I could list so many players that I played with who were my role models once I’d played with them. I didn't know about them before because they had no profile. And you know, it's all those people where I think they never got these opportunities, so no matter how hard it is for us now at times, we need to take it up a step because the next generation underneath will then take it up a step for the next generation and so on.

“I'm just really fortunate because I've seen how rapid can be and how challenging it could be at times. And you know, it's a breeze really compared to what it was 10-15 years ago. So that's what keeps me going – is making sure that it's always better than it was before.”

“That’s my job at Saints now is to make sure every year it's better than it was before. And that's my promise to the girls. It will absolutely never be perfect. Rugby League will never be perfect. Women's Rugby League will never be perfect. But I guarantee you all I’ll fight to make it better than it was the year before. And I think that's my drive just generally for the women's game.”

“Rugby League is for everyone. if you went across our team, you've got so many different types of individuals in there. I count myself lucky because I've got 25 best friends that I see around three times a week like and that’s not common really for women. 

“And I think that's one of the really magical things about what we do and why. It’s the friendship and support network that we have. Life might be challenging with work and all the other commitments you have at home but you know you’re going to always have someone in the team who understands.

“We’re always there for each other and I think that's really powerful thing that sport offers everyone.”

The Betfred Women’s Super League Grand Final will take place at The Totally Wicked Stadium on Sunday 6 October (K.O. 4.30pm) and will be shown live on Sky Sports. 

Be there to witness the action with tickets on sale now!