Debut: Vs Huddersfield Giants (H) 06/08/2023

Honours -

Grand Final: Finalist 2023

Challenge Cup: Finalist 2024

Super League Shield: Winner 2022 (Huddersfield)

Leeds Rhinos Women strengthened their squad with the signing of Bella Sykes from Huddersfield Giants Women in June 2023 and the hooker went on to play six times towards the end of the campaign.

As one of four debutants brought into the team for the visit of the Giants, she marked the occasion with a try at Headingley against her former club, and subsequently didn't miss a league game before the end of the season. Utilised as a substitute by head coach Lois Forsell, Sykes was part of the side that won four straight games, including the golden point Super League semi final win over St Helens, and she came off the bench in the Grand Final defeat to York Valkyrie.

A consistent starter in 2024 at prop and loose forward, Sykes caught the attention of the Women's Super League as she earned the competition's Young Player of the Year honour. She played in 13 out of 15 league matches for head coach Forsell, as well as four Cup rounds which includes the Cup Final against St Helens. She also added four tries. 

Added to that, Sykes also made her senior England debut in 2024 as she featured off the bench in wins over France and Wales.

Sykes started playing with Huddersfield St Joes before joining the Giants at 16 years old. Alongside Rhinos team mate Izzy Northrop, she won the League Shield against Featherstone in 2021 at Headingley. She is part of the England Knights squad, featuring against the Cook Islands in a friendly in 2022, and has also represented England Students.

Sykes is the daughter of former Castleford player Nathan Sykes, but her journey into playing rugby wasn’t inevitable with fewer paths to get involved in the women’s game when she was at junior school. Before playing Rugby, she competed at regional standard in netball and swam at a county level too.

Away from Rugby, Sykes is going to be studying sport and exercise science at Leeds Beckett University. She also enjoys cooking and baking for her family and walks with her cockerpoo, Ralph.