Leon Pryce: From Super League legend to women’s game pioneer at York Valkyrie
Women's rugby league has always had to fight for its place in the game.
Today, those same gritty, ambitious qualities are paying off in unexpected ways, drawing some of the sport's biggest names from the men's game into uncharted territory.
Take Denis Betts, for example. A legend on the field, he has only truly made his mark as a coach since stepping into the women's side of the club where he made his name.
Wigan Warriors' reward for taking a chance on an unproven women's coach has come in the form of a historic treble, while Betts has found fulfilment in unlocking the potential of a young and talented group of players.
After watching Wigan’s meteoric rise at close quarters, York Valkyrie have themselves turned to a rugby league great to lead the club into the post-Lindsay Anfield era.
It would be easy to assume Leon Pryce is doing the women's game a favour by taking the reins at the LNER Community Stadium. That, however, could not be further from the truth.
Betts' success at Wigan has given Pryce a blueprint and a sense that Women's Super League can offer just as much to coaches as it does to players.
"I obviously know Denis from around the game and have got a lot of respect and admiration for everything he's achieved, both as a player and a coach," says Pryce. "But more than us growing the women's game, I'm appreciative to be involved in it.
"I don't see myself as a big name who is coming in as a way of raising the profile of the sport; I was humbled and honoured to be asked to do this.
"I know my name from the men's side of the game carries a little bit of weight but I'm starting again and need to earn everyone's respect.
"It has required me to step out of my comfort zone but anything that is worth achieving is never going to be easy.
"My private and family life off the field is really settled and balanced so this has come along at the right time for me."
Announced on the eve of the men's Grand Final in October, it would be fair to say Pryce's appointment came straight out of left field.
After all, six and a half years had passed since his only previous experience as a head coach at Workington Town.
But the appointment of the 44-year-old, who won 19 trophies during his decorated playing career, was hardly a spur-of-the-moment decision.
"I'd been in conversation with Clint (Goodchild, York owner) for quite a few months," says Pryce, who also enjoyed a spell as an assistant at Featherstone Rovers under Sean Long.
"We met for a coffee a few times and the opportunity came about that way.
"It gives me a unique insight into the women's game and a fresh perspective. I did a lot as a player but I'm brand new to the women's side of the game. It's a growing sport. There's a lot of interest out there.
"It's a clean slate for me. I'm learning as much as the girls. I've really enjoyed the first few weeks. It's good to be back in a team environment."
Transitioning from the men's game to the women's side comes with its own set of challenges.
The players balance training around work, family and, in some cases, motherhood, while managing the physical demands of elite rugby league.
It raises the question of whether Pryce has had to change his approach after stepping out of his comfort zone.
"My playing days are a long time ago and I've grown as a person since then," he adds.
"I think I'm at the right point in my life now to be able to build relationships that help create winning teams.
"How you talk to people and treat them, in life and in rugby, has got to be respectful and in the right manner because you don't win anything with fractured relationships. You want people to want to play for you. Whether that's men or women, it doesn't really matter.
"The DNA and basic code of winning rugby league games is the same across the sport: honesty with a hardworking mentality and sacrificing for each other. The little things that add up to being successful remain the same."
Fortunately for Pryce, those qualities are already ingrained in the Valkyrie.
Anfield left behind a strong legacy when she called time on her four-year tenure at the LNER Community Stadium, one that delivered two Super League titles.
While Pryce has stepped into some sizeable shoes, the foundations are there to build on.
"I've already seen their core skills and the quality of coaching they had previously," he says.
"I think Lindsay (who also coached Castleford Tigers) spent nearly 10 years with most of this group of girls and brought them all through. I've got massive respect for what she achieved as a coach. She's left the club in a good place.
"York have won Super League in the past and I know Clint is very passionate about the women's team. We want to get back to winning because it's a couple of years since York won the competition."
The Valkyrie's crown was seized by Wigan as Betts' team swept all before them in 2025.
As he settles into the York hot seat, Pryce has a clear objective: dethrone the Warriors.
"I know everybody talks about Wigan but I don't want to talk about them too much," he says.
"I've always believed that if you get yourselves in the best possible place, everything else looks after itself.
"I don't fear anybody and we don't fear anybody. We'll take care of ourselves and will let the other teams do the same."
The challenge of restoring York as the team to beat in the Women's Super League is part of a broader mission.
After showing patience in the second chapter of his rugby league career, Pryce will continue to take it one day at a time.
"Would I like to settle into coaching?" says the former Great Britain international. "It all depends.
"One thing I would like to do is grow the game in York and repay the trust that's been put in me. I'm 100 per cent committed to making sure that we succeed.
"For me, success would look like having a good pathway programme to give our young development squad a clear route to the first team, raising standards and eventually silverware. There's a lot more that makes a team successful than just winning trophies.
"These are exciting times for the club and the city. I've got the chance to contribute and am really grateful for that."