Julia Lee: Pioneering rugby league referee donates memorabilia

Julia Lee (right) was "dared for a fiver" to first have a go at refereeing rugby league in the 1980s

A pioneering rugby league referee has donated memorabilia to an archive of the women's game.

Julia Lee, who lives near Huddersfield, donated the collection to the Rugby Football League Archive at Heritage Quay in the town's university.

It includes a signed shirt and ball, scrap books and photographs.

The Life with the Lionesses project received £90,000 in November to raise the profile and chart the history of the women's game.

Members of the Great Britain Lionesses squad who toured New Zealand in 1998 signed the donated ball.

Ms Lee, the first woman to referee men's Rugby League in the 1980s, leads the project to uncover documents and inspire future generations.

Ms Lee, who retired from the game in 2000, has also had her sporting life turned in to a play called Ref!

The former ref, who is originally from Hull, said the archive wanted to hear from former players or supporters.

"If you have any items of interest you might like to share, or stories of playing, coaching or your involvement in women's rugby league please get in touch," she added.

Dr Becky Bowd, archivist at Heritage Quay, said women were "under-represented across many of our collections but especially so in the [rugby league] archive".

It is hoped this project will uncover stories, collections and lead to increased female representation in the archive