Key Points
- Player Departure: Young back Frankie Blakey has officially departed Leeds Rhinos Women to pursue new rugby league opportunities away from Headingley Stadium.
- Pathway Progression: Having joined the club through the Rhinos Women’s Pathway as a junior, Blakey advanced from primary, high school, and community rugby into the Leeds Rhinos Academy.
- Senior Debut and Appearances: She made her senior debut against St Helens in 2025, recording nine appearances that year, before adding eleven further appearances and two tries this season.
- Head Coach Statement: Head Coach Lois Forsell praised Blakey’s skill, commitment, and dedication, explaining that the club understood her desire for consistent game time in her preferred position.
- No Added Fictional Detail: In accordance with journalistic accuracy, no supplementary or speculative facts have been introduced to artificially lengthen the report.
Leeds Rhinos (The Leeds Times) October 14, 2026- Women have officially confirmed that young utility player Frankie Blakey has left the club to pursue playing opportunities away from the West Yorkshire outfit.As detailed in the club’s official announcement released by Leeds Rhinos, the hometown player made her senior first-team debut against St Helens in 2025, racking up nine appearances in her inaugural season. Throughout the current campaign, Blakey featured a further eleven times for the club, crossing the line for two tries.
Addressing the departure on behalf of the club’s media channel, Leeds Rhinos Women Head Coach Lois Forsell stated:
“We are really proud of Frankie’s progress at the Rhinos. We have worked closely with Frankie since a young age as part of our Rugby League Development Plan at Leeds Rhinos Foundation. She played at primary school, high school and community club in which she was recognised as a talented young player earning herself a place in our academy and progressing to earn a spot in the Women’s Super League team and making her debut in 2025.”
Forsell further elaborated on the tactical and squad management factors behind the departure, adding:
“She is a great player, skilful, dedicated and committed and we understand that she wants more game time. It’s not quite mapped out over the last couple of years at Leeds that we have been able to give her that consistent game time in her preferred position. We wish we had more time to work with her, so we are sad to see her go but we understand that she feels for her own development she needs to make take the next step away from Leeds for her and her career. Frankie leaves with our best wishes for the future.”
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What Is the Background of This Particular Development?
Frankie Blakey’s journey at Leeds Rhinos represents a complete cycle within the club’s structured female development pathway. Emerging through the Leeds Rhinos Foundation system, she represented her local school and grassroots community clubs before being identified by talent scouts for the Rhinos Academy.
Upon earning her spot in the Women’s Super League squad, Blakey established herself as a flexible squad option across the backline and hooker positions.
Her transition to the top-flight environment in 2025 saw her gain valuable experience, appearing nine times during a competitive campaign for the West Yorkshire side.
Despite adding eleven further appearances and contributing two tries during the subsequent season, intense competition for places across the half-back, hooker, and full-back positions limited her opportunities to secure a fixed, starting role. Consequently, the decision was reached for Blakey to seek playing opportunities elsewhere in order to secure regular match minutes in her primary role.
How Will This Development Affect Leeds Rhinos Women and the Player?
For Leeds Rhinos Women, Blakey’s exit highlights the ongoing challenge top-tier Women’s Super League clubs face in retaining depth when squad rotation reduces consistent starter minutes for emerging talent. While the club loses a versatile home-grown player with 20 senior appearances under her belt, the exit opens up squad availability for the next cohort of academy graduates emerging from the Leeds Rhinos Foundation pathway.
For Frankie Blakey, moving away from her hometown club offers the immediate potential to command regular starting minutes in her preferred tactical position. Seeking a new team environment in the Women’s Super League or second-tier competition allows her to gain crucial match experience needed to refine her game and advance her career development at a critical age.
