Sophie Robinson motivated for Grand Final success after injury nightmare

Leeds star Sophie Robinson is determined to get her hands on the Women’s Super League trophy after she was forced to watch from the sidelines in 2019.

The 25-year-old has been a Grand Finalist on two occasions – against Wigan in 2018 and St Helens in 2021 – but been on the losing side both times with the Rhinos.

The year Leeds did win the Women’s Super League in 2019 was a bittersweet moment for Robinson. She didn’t play in their 20-12 win over Castleford after having her season ended in the August due to a serious leg injury.

Robinson came back fitter, stronger and more driven than ever before. With the 2020 season cancelled due to the pandemic, Robinson eventually made her return to the field in April 2021 – 18 months after she suffered her leg injury.

“It was really hard mentally to come back from that injury, especially last year and the start of this season,” Robinson told Love Rugby League.

“I still had the injury in my mind a little bit and it was hard to overcome but we have good support at the Rhinos.”

“It’s made me want to win a Grand Final even more”

On Sunday, Robinson has her chance to get her hands on the trophy that has evaded her so far. The two-time Challenge Cup winner will line-up for her home city club Leeds when they take on York in the Women’s Super League Grand Final.

“It has kind of made me want to win a Grand Final even more because I missed out in 2019 through injury so I had to watch it on the sidelines,” Robinson added.

“For me, it is still a trophy that’s missing and hopefully we can get it on Sunday. It is something I have been working towards that I want to win a Grand Final.

“We are all pretty excited for the final. I think the nerves will kick in for a lot of us once we’re heading into Sunday morning travelling over to St Helens. This is what we’ve trained for all season and what we’ve been working towards so we’re glad to be there and we’re excited to get out there.”

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Sophie Robinson hoping to inspire the generation of girls

Robinson was born and raised in Leeds and is of Jamaican heritage through her father’s side of the family. She represented her Jamaican roots in Rugby 7s earlier this year in The Bahamas.

Having already achieved so much in her own rugby journey, Robinson is hoping to she can help inspire the next generation of girls.

“When we play at Headingley some of the girls in the crowd wait for pictures and signatures and sometimes you think ‘oh wow, these girls actually come out to watch us play’,” Robinson said.

“We are hopefully being role models to them and they can look up to someone like myself and think one day they can play for Leeds Rhinos.

“The Rhinos are really good at getting the girls involved. They offer them to come and watch our sessions, and things like that make a big difference to the lives of the young girls. Hopefully they’ll progress to play in the Women’s Super League one day.”

You can watch Robinson in action for the Rhinos when they face York in the Women’s Super League Grand Final on Sunday afternoon live on Sky Sports (3:30pm).

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