Jesse Southwell

Rugby League

Jesse Southwell was born in Newcastle in 2005. As the younger sister of Hannah Southwell, it’s no doubt she picked up a rugby ball as soon as she could walk. Playing rugby league and touch football as a child, inspired by the Australian gold medal-winning rugby sevens team at the 2016 Olympic Games Jesse commenced playing rugby sevens in high school.

A rising star through the lower grades in 2020, Southwell made history by becoming the first female player to sign a contract with the Newcastle Knights. In November 2021, she was announced as a development player for the Knights’ NRL Women’s Premiership side.

In April 2022, Jesse was selected for the Australian seven’s squad and joined her teammates at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in celebrating a gold medal win.

She officially joined the Newcastle Knights’ NRLW top 24-squad after gaining an exemption from the NRL due to being underage. In round 1 of the 2022 NRLW season, she made her NRLW debut for the Knights against the Brisbane Broncos, scoring a try in the Knights’ 32-14 win. Her form continued throughout the season which saw Jesse steer the Newcastle Knights to take out the 2022 premiership AND claim the Dally M Rookie of the Year Award. During the 2023 season, Jesse was instrumental in helping the Knights win the Premiership for a second year in a row.

At only 19 Jesse’s right-foot step has the rugby world talking, and she’s only just getting started.