ABSTRACT
The development of rugby league in Liverpool has been a constant struggle, not only against the prevailing popularity of soccer, but other sports in the city such as baseball, athletics and greyhound racing. Nevertheless, prior to the outbreak of World War Two rugby league looked to be gaining momentum, as Liverpool Stanley RLFC had successive top four finishes in 1936 and 1937. Yet the promise of success was hampered by its greyhound racing owner and the outbreak of war, disrupting the burgeoning culture that was building around the sport. But rugby league in Liverpool did not disappear quietly, as its small, strong community rallied round to save their club. This article shows both the extent to which women were part of Liverpool’s rugby league community, investing both time and money in the sport, at Stanley and at junior grassroots level. The article considers how circumstances brought women to the fore in the vital efforts to keep Stanley going, and that how they operated, utilising skills, both domestic and of the workplace, blurring lines between work and leisure. In doing so, the article sheds new light on the complex and extensive involvement of women in sport beyond playing and spectatorship.
