Why England are thankful to Cowboys for keeping Fran in league

When Fran Goldthorp signed with the Cowboys after the last World Cup in 2022, English officials were relieved that she was heading to the NRLW because they feared losing her to rugby union.

Still in her teens at the time, Goldthorp had won two Women's Super League premierships with Leeds, scoring 45 tries in 44 matches, and was being courted by the rival code after representing England Under 20s.

English rugby union has maintained an interest in Goldthorp, who had a stint with Loughborough during the NRLW off-season, and there was speculation they would target her for this year's Women's Rugby World Cup. 

However, after three seasons in North Queensland, Goldthorp is not only glad she made the decision to join the best female contact sports competition in the world but encourages other English players to make the move.

“Who knows what decision I would have made but I am glad I took my opportunities here,” said Goldthorp, who has extended her stay in North Queensland until at least the end of the 2027 season.

“I definitely think after the World Cup a few years ago I needed a new challenge, and this has been the perfect thing for me.”

Still only 22-years-of-age, Goldthorp has enjoyed her best season yet with the Cowboys and was voted the club’s 2025 Player’s Player by team-mates after a successful switch from fullback to wing under Ricky Henry.

The Leeds product, who was also a talented cricketer, said the fact that many of the players have moved to Townsville to play has ensured a close bond that is reaping results on the field.

The Cowboys have qualified for their first NRLW finals series and after finishing fourth will host a sudden-death play-off against the Sharks at Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Saturday.

“The majority of us have relocated and then obviously you've got your core group that are based in Queensland, so we know that we all have to get around each other," Goldthorp said.

"We don't necessarily have big, wide, proper families as you would call it, but we've all created families out of one another.

“I think the culture that we've created, the environment that Ricky's created and the support network we've got from the wider staff will always make me come back.

“I just love being around girls, I love the dynamic that we have and the will then gets higher to want to perform for them. We trust each other and I think that definitely is shown on the pitch when times get hard.”

Goldthorp has been spending her NRLW off-seasons playing rugby union and missed England’s 90-4 thumping by Australia in the Vegas Test earlier this year.

However, she is considering a break during this off-season to prepare for a big 2026, with the Rugby League World Cup in Australia and Papua New Guinea next October and November.

“For the last three years I've done like back-to-back seasons. I’ve played here, gone home and played rugby union, and then come back, but we'll see what happens,” Goldthorp said.

"I am a person that doesn't like to switch off, so it definitely helps me stay in the grind a bit and keep my fitness up, but it is definitely taking its toll and with the Cup next year, who knows.”

Having signed with the Cowboys until at least 2027, Goldthorp would like to see other English players test themselves in the NRLW as Paige Travis is the only one to do so since she Hollie-Mae Dodd and Georgia Roache made the move in 2023.

“I think something needs to change over there, how that will work and what that looks like I don't know, but we need more transfer from girls coming from Oz to England and then vice-versa,” she said.

“We've definitely got young girls coming through, but whether they're ready right now because of the comp back home is a different story, so we just need to keep playing good competition.

“The girls here have got it great with the Pac Champs, and we need something like that to keep developing as a nation, otherwise we are going to fall behind again.”

With RLWC2026 at the end of next season and a standalone Women’s World Cup in 2028, Goldthorp said she would support England selecting Australian-based players with English heritage who have put their hands up for England.

Goldthorp said the likes of Roosters edge player Jasmin Strange, playmaking utility Jocelyn Kelleher and Bulldogs halfback Tayla Preston would immediately strengthen the England team in key positions.