Wigan Warriors and England star in 21-strong long list for Women's Golden Boot award
Wigan Warriors star Izzy Rowe is England’s sole representative in a long list for the 2025 Women’s International Rugby League Golden Boot award, with 21 players nominated from across nine nations.
Rowe is England’s sole representative after scoring 22 points in England’s 62-0 win over Wales in Neath back in August.
The 19-year-old, who was a member of the Warriors’ quadruple-clinching team in 2024, did not play in England’s heavy 90-4 defeat by Australia in Las Vegas back in March.
The IRL Golden Boot is awarded to the best player in sanctioned rugby league international matches each year.
Australia have the most players nominated for the women’s Golden Boot award with seven – Isabelle Kelly, Jesse Southwell, Julia Robinson, Kezie Apps, Olivia Kernick, Tamika Upton and Yasmin Clydesdale.
Meanwhile, New Zealand have the second most with five nominations in the shape of Annessa Biddle, Apii Nicholls, Ashleigh Quinlan, Georgia Hale and Raecene McGregor.
Fiji duo Cassie Staples and Sereana Naitokatoka have been nominated, as have Nigeria pair Faustina Akeje and Rachel Iliya.
Elsie Albert (Papua New Guinea), Martha Mataele (Tonga), Paulina Morris-Ponga (Cook Islands) and Shalom Sauaso (Samoa) have also been included on the long list.
The Women’s 2025 IRL Golden Boot winner will be judged by Australian great Karyn Murphy, New Zealand dual-code superstar Honey Hireme-Smiler and Kiwi Ferns pioneer Luisa Avaiki, who also represented Samoa.
The 2024 IRL Golden Boot winners were Australia’s Tarryn Aiken and Isaah Yeo, and England Wheelchair star Rob Hawkins.
There have been five winners of the women’s Golden Boot since it was introduced in 2018 – Isabelle Kelly (Australia, 2018), Jess Sergis (Australia, 2019), Raecene McGregor (New Zealand, 2022), Georgia Hale (New Zealand, 2023) and Tarryn Aiken (Australia, 2024).
2025 IRL Golden Boost long list (women): Annessa Biddle, Apii Nicholls, Ashleigh Quinlan, Georgia Hale, Raecene McGregor (all New Zealand), Cassie Staples, Sereana Naitokatoka (both Fiji), Elsie Albert (Papua New Guinea), Faustina Akeje, Rachel Iliya (both Nigeria), Isabelle Kelly, Jesse Southwell, Julia Robinson, Kezie Apps, Olivia Kernick, Tamika Upton, Yasmin Clydesdale (all Australia), Izzy Rowe (England), Martha Mataele (Tonga), Paulina Morris-Ponga (Cook Islands), Shalom Sauaso (Samoa).
Short lists for the men’s, women’s and wheelchair 2025 IRL Golden Boot awards will be announced after the Pacific Championships finals in Sydney and the third Ashes Test in Leeds.