Women's State of Origin

Despite women's rugby league first being played in Australia in 1921, the first official game between Queensland and New South Wales was held in 1999. The two teams met at Brisbane's ANZ Stadium with Queensland winning 16–6.[6]

Accurate records were not kept in the early years of the Interstate Challenge by either the QRL or the NSWRL, with many player records and game information still unknown.[7] For many years, the women's teams were run by their own governing bodies, the Queensland Women's Rugby League and the New South Wales Women's rugby league, who were affiliated with the QRL and NSWRL.[8][9]

Before coming under the State of Origin banner in 2018, the sides were not known as the 'Blues' and 'Maroons', with the Queensland side being known as the 'Brolgas'.[10] In 2005, the teams began playing for the Nellie Doherty Cup. Nellie Doherty was a pioneer of the women's game in Australia, helping to launch the sport in 1921.[11]

Although the majority of early Women's Interstate Challenges were one-off fixtures, the sides would occasionally play a series of games, such as in 2004 and 2008.[12]

In 2015, Queensland failed to defeat New South Wales for the first time, with the sides drawing 4–all at Townsville's 1300SMILES Stadium and Queensland retaining the Nellie Doherty Cup.[13] On 23 July 2016, New South Wales defeated Queensland for the first time, ending Queensland's 17-year undefeated streak, with an 8–4 victory at the Gold Coast's Cbus Super Stadium.[14] On 23 July 2017, in the final game played under the Women's Interstate Challenge name, New South Wales defeated Queensland for the second time, winning 22–6 at WIN Stadium in Wollongong.[15]

On 6 December 2017, the National Rugby League announced that the Women's Interstate Challenge would be rebranded as the Women's State of Origin.[16] The game which, was previously played as a curtain-raiser, would now be a standalone fixture broadcast on the Nine Network and Fox Sports. With the game under the State of Origin banner, the Nellie Doherty Cup was replaced by a shield, with the player of the match now receiving the Nellie Doherty Medal.[17]

On 22 June 2018, New South Wales won the first Women's State of Origin game, defeating Queensland 16–10 at North Sydney Oval.[18] Blues' centre Isabelle Kelly, who scored two tries in the win, won the inaugural Nellie Doherty Medal.[19] On 21 June 2019, New South Wales defeated Queensland for the fourth consecutive year, winning 14–4 at North Sydney Oval, with Blues halfback Maddie Studdon being awarded the Nellie Doherty Medal.[20]

The 2020 game was originally due to be played in June at Sunshine Coast Stadium, but was moved to the post-season for the first time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The game was played in Queensland for the first time under the State of Origin banner and for the first time overall since 2016.[21][22] Queensland defeated New South Wales 24–18, winning their first official State of Origin game and their first game since 2014.[23]