Women’s State of Origin 2025 LIVE: Blues eyeing off series win in Sydney

This is how wet it is

Abbi Church of the Blues. Credit: Getty Images

A wet old night in Sydney. Credit: Getty Images

Queensland strike first

Queensland have the first set of the match before plugging it deep into a NSW corner as Jayme Fressard flicks the ball back in.

You can already see plenty of water under foot.

Queensland’s Jasmine Peters takes a great high ball in testing conditions.

Gus Gould makes a joke about it the field being like a swimming relay race.

Oh dear, Jess Sergis knocks on right near the Blues’ line. Queensland celebrate as they get a chance close to the line.

Maroons hooker Lauren Brown grubbers a ball in towards the NSW in-goal. Olivia Kernick knocks on as Tamika Upton swoops on the loose ball and grounds it.

It’s so, so wet.

QLD lead 6-0 after six minutes

We’re under way in Sydney

The Blues kick towards the northern end of Allianz Stadium in the pouring rain. Good day to be a duck.

It’ll be intriguing to see how the wet weather impacts play. Here we go.

Keep in mind that it’s 35-minute halves.

Yasmin Clydsdale of the Blues warms up with teammates. Credit: Getty Images

It’s pouring in Sydney

By Billie Eder

It is absolutely bucketing down here at Allianz Stadium, where the Blues and the Maroons are just finishing their warm-ups.

NSW Coach John Strange is braving the weather along with his team, who are soaked to the bone before the match even begins.

Puddles are starting to gather in patches on the pitch, which means we’re in for a very slippery night.

Jaime Chapman of the Blues. Credit: Getty Images

Female rugby league participation is growing

Female participation in rugby league across NSW has hit an all-time high this season.

Here are the latest numbers (as of 12 May):

32,452 female player registrations in NSW for the 2025 season.
That’s a 15.43 per cent increase in the year to date.
And an 8.27 per cent uplift on the total 2024 number.

There’s also huge growth in the grassroots age brackets, a clear sign the next generation is all in:

3–7 years: up 21.4 per cent
8–9 years: up 16.95 per cent
10–12 years: up 8.68 per cent

Some great pictures here too from Sam Mooy ahead of tonight’s match.

New South Wales Blues Women’s co-captain Kezie Apps poses for photographs. Credit: Sam Mooy

Blues fever. Credit: Sam Mooy

In case you missed game one

This from Billie Eder after the Blues pipped the Maroons in their own backyard.

***

NSW are on the road to State of Origin redemption, thrashing Queensland 32-12 in the women’s series opener to begin John Strange’s coaching tenure with a bang.

An eye-gouging allegation from NSW hooker Keeley Davis headlined an eventful first match since the Blues coughed up their 1-0 lead last year to lose the inaugural three-match series 2-1.

But to begin the second, the Blues cashed in on Strange’s call to overhaul his team and finished with their biggest-ever women’s Origin win on Thursday night.

Strange didn’t speak too much on the eye-gouging incident after the match, and instead said he would leave it up to the judiciary.

“Keeley, I just spoke to her after there, she said she got eye-gouged during the game. She wasn’t sure who, there was a couple in the tackle, so she told the ref, they put it on report, so they’ll have a look at it,” Strange said.

Captain Isabelle Kelly spoke to referee Belinda Sharpe during the match to report the incident, but said her NSW hooker didn’t let the incident rattle her.

“I told any of the girls to come to me with anything if they need to, and that’s exactly what they did, put my players first, and we’ll see what comes of it,” Kelly said of the allegation.

READ THE FULL MATCH REPORT (AND LIVE BLOG) HERE

Abbi Church celebrates with her teammates during game one in Brisbane. Credit: Getty Images

The final teams are in

No late changes. As per the program 1-17.

Blues (1–13)

Abbi Church, Jaime Chapman, Jessica Sergis, Isabelle Kelly (c), Jayme Fressard, Tiana Penitani Gray, Jesse Southwell, Simaima Taufa, Keeley Davis, Ellie Johnston, Kezie Apps, Yasmin Clydsdale, Olivia Kernick.

Interchange:
Jocelyn Kelleher, Kennedy Cherrington, Sarah Togatuki, Emma Verron. Reserve: Shaylee Bent.

Maroons (1–13):

Tamika Upton (c), Julia Robinson, Shenae Ciesolka, Rory Owen, Jasmine Peters, Tarryn Aiken, Ali Brigginshaw, Makenzie Weale, Lauren Brown, Jessika Elliston, Sienna Lofipo, Romy Teitzel, Kellee Joseph.

Interchange:
Jada Ferguson, Sophie Holyman, Chelsea Lenarduzzi, Tavarna Papalii. Reserve: Hayley Maddick.