LINDSAY Anfield has already blazed a trail in women’s rugby league, and now has her eye on doing likewise in the men’s game.
The 2023 Betfred Women’s Super League (BWSL) coach of the year is currently part of the coaching staff at Catalans Dragons women ahead of their entry into the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup, having left York Valkyrie at the end of last year after a successful four years as director of rugby.
Anfield, who also coached Castleford Tigers from 2016 to 2021, hopes to use her time in France to learn more about all aspects of the game, including the men’s side, and revealed she would be eager to try her hand in that sphere in the future.
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“Getting involved in the men’s game, a few people have spoken to me about that and it something that does interest me,” Anfield told Forty20 Live.
“Should I stick to my niche of I know how to coach women, or do I really push myself out of my comfort zone and have a go at coaching the blokes?”
“I haven’t had any contact with [FFR XIII director of rugby Trent Robinson] yet…but I’m hoping as it progresses I might hopefully get more time and hopefully see what the men are doing.
“I’m trying to upskill myself and learn as much as I can about the game.”
A member of the first England Women’s team back in 2007, full-back Anfield retired from playing at the age of 30 and turned her hand to coaching in an effort to help develop women’s rugby league.
She guided Castleford to Women’s Challenge Cup final appearances in 2018 and 2019 and oversaw York’s rise to prominence, leading to back-to-back BWSL Grand Final triumphs in 2023 and 2024.
Connections in France going back to her Tigers days, when she took her side to face Catalans, led to her joining the Dragons staff to help them prepare for their first Challenge Cup campaign.
Catalans face Huddersfield Giants and four-time cup winners St Helens in Group A in April, and being part of those preparations is proving the perfect role for Anfield ahead of her next full-time role – be that in the women’s or men’s game.
“It would have been very easy for me to take another role with a team in the Championship, recruiting players and trying to get to Super League, and I’ve done that twice and it takes a hell of a lot of energy,” Anfield said.
“It’s something different to refresh and have a new look at things.”
