Women's State of Origin : 2025

There is strong and ongoing rivalry between New South Wales (Blues) and Queensland (Maroons) in rugby league. I've covered the Interstate Challenge (1999-2017) and the State of Origin (2018-2024) for the women's game and by clicking on each of those titles you can see the history.

Moving on to 2025, the three match series has been completed. The results are as follows:

Game 1: Held in Brisbane, Queensland the score was 12-14 at half time to the visitors but blew out in the second with NSW scoring 18 unanswered points. 

Final score: Queensland 12-32 NSW. Attendance 26,000.

Game 2: Down in Sydney another tight first half had the hosts up 12-6 at the break but another scoreless half for Queensland while conceding 14 points was another surprising capitulation.

Final score NSW 26-6 Queensland. Attendance 16,000.

Game 3: The game was played on neutral ground at Newcastle. Well, Blues territory officially. Anyway, NSW led 8-6 at the break. They had one try disallowed for technically not grounding the ball but I thought pedantic. That decision was crucial as the Maroons mounted a spirited second half which they won 12-6 and the game.

Final score NSW 14-18 Queensland. Attendance N/A.

The series went to the Blues 2-1 and that makes the eight State of Origin series shared four each although one of those was drawn but given to Queensland on a superior points differential (I presume). NSW have won 7 matches and Queensland six, with the Blues scoring 212 points and the Maroons 173. 

To see highlights of the final game, simply click here.

France Elite 2 : 2024/25

For this season in the second division, US Entraigues XIII had been relegated and two sides were promoted, Pamiers and Realmont. There were still nine sides because while one club was promoted to Elite 1, none were relegated. 

Palau were fifth in 2023-24 but won the division this season. Villegailhenc Aragon were second again and Ille-sur-Têt retained their third spot. Both of the new sides acquitted themselves well enough, with Pamier even making the play offs. 

The first round of the finals featured the sides finishing third to sixth. Both of the teams that finished higher in the league won their matches. Carpentras 30-22 and Ille-sur-Têt 25-8. Sterner tests were to face them in the next round.

So it proved with both winners of the quarter finals ending their season in the semi finals. The winners went into the grand final and as both were the best two in the league well deserved. Villegailhenc was a losing grand finalist last year, but could they go one better?

It was not to be as Palau - quarter final loser from the previous season - went two better this year in winning narrowly 20-17. Tough for Villegailhenc to lose again and by such a close margin but congratulations to Palau who backed up their league title with the grand final trophy. I assume Palau will be now promoted to the Elite 1. 

France Elite 1 : 2024/25

The top French rugby league competition increased in number from ten to eleven for this season with no clubs being relegated. The new team was Villefranche XIII Aveyron, promoted from Elite 2.

Albi came in the top of the Elite 1 league table. Albi had narrowly lost the Lord Derby Cup final but showed they were the best team over the twenty rounds of the league. The last time they took the league title was way back in the 1961-62 season!

Carcassonne have won the league six times since in the previous nine it was held so while that is a fine run, this season they fell just short. St Estève-Catalan came together in the 2000-01 season and have collected four titles in that time. 

Pia have been back in Elite 1 for three years and and have been a model of consistency. A fifth and now two fourth placings. Limoux won the league in 2017-18 season and is usually near the top of the league.

The play offs had third to sixth playing. Pia narrowly lost to Limoux while Villeneuve won 34-12 against St Estève-Catalan. The two lower finishing sides prevailing over their perhaps more fancied opponents. 

The two top league teams returned to take on the above mentioned winners. In both matches, they came out on top, Albi 26-8 over Limoux and Carcassone 11-6 against  Villeneuve. The latter scoreline was closer than I expected. 

The grand final saw Abli add to its league title with a 26-16 victory. They clearly were the best team over the season. They went so close to winning the treble but two out of three ain't bad.