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| Born | (2005-02-12)12 February 2005 (age 20) Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 163 cm (5 ft 4 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 77 kg (12 st 2 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Halfback, Five-eighth | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source:[1] As of 9 November 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby player | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| Relatives | Hannah Southwell (sister) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jesse Southwell (born 12 February 2005) is an Australianrugby league andrugby sevens footballer who currently plays for theNewcastle Knights in theNRL Women's Premiership. Her positions arehalfback andfive-eighth.
Southwell was born inNewcastle, New South Wales. She played her junior rugby league for theKotara Bears.
She had played rugby league since she was a 5-year-old child and only played rugby sevens for the first time at high school.[2] She also playedtouch football growing up.[3] Southwell said she was inspired by the Australian gold medal-winning rugby sevens team at the2016 Olympic Games.[4]
She is the younger sister of Knights teammateHannah Southwell.[5]
In 2020, Southwell made history by becoming the first female player to sign a contract with theNewcastle Knights.[6] In November 2021, she was announced as a development player for the Knights'NRL Women's Premiership side.
Southwell played for the Knights'Tarsha Gale Cup side in 2022.[7] She was selected for the Australian sevens squad in April following her stand out performances in the AON University Sevens Series for theNewcastle University inNew South Wales.[8] In May, she played a match for the Knights'NSWRL Women's Premiership side.[9]
She won a gold medal with theAustralian sevens team at the2022 Commonwealth Games inBirmingham.[10][11][12]
In August, she officially joined the Knights' NRLW top 24-squad after gaining an exemption from the NRL due to being underage.[5] In round 1 of the2022 NRLW season, she made herNRLW debut for the Knights against theBrisbane Broncos,[13] scoring a try in the Knights' 32–14 win.[14]
On 2 October, Southwell played in the Knights'2022 NRLW Grand Final win over theParramatta Eels, scoring a try and kicking a goal in the Knights' 32–12 victory.[15]
In April, Southwell re-signed with the Knights on a contract until the end of 2027.[16]
Southwell made herState of Origin debut forNew South Wales in Game 1 of the2023 Women's State of Origin at Parramatta'sCommBank Stadium.[17]
Her try against the Sydney Roosters was voted the NRLW try of the year.[18][19]
Southwell was apart of the Knights team that won back-to-back premierships, as the Knights defeated the Titans 24-18 in the 2023 Grand Final. It was the first time that she won the premiership alongside older sister, Hannah.
Southwell was recalled to the NSW team for State of Origin and played a starring role in all three games in the 2-1 series victory.
On October 6 2025, Southwell was selected for the Australian Jillaroos squad for the 2025 Pacific Championships. Just a week later, Southwell signed a two year deal with 2025 NRLW Premiers, the Brisbane Broncos.
