Women's Super League: St Helens' Tara Jones making the most of her life in rugby league

There are not many things in Tara Jones' life which do not revolved around rugby league in one way or another.

Along with starring for both St Helens in the Women's Super League and England on the international stage, Jones is a grade two match official and a coach with the Saints Community Development Foundation.

So, when the Covid-19 pandemic struck last year and rugby league shut down during lockdown - a shutdown which lasted all year for every level of the sport bar the men's Super League - it was not just the playing side which the hooker had to do without.

"Everything I do is rugby-related somehow," Jones told Sky Sports. "Everything came to a standstill, but luckily I was able to work in a sixth form and a primary school over the time they were open during lockdown.

"The rugby side came to a stop and that was difficult, but I did manage to keep busy.

"I think everybody felt it a little bit [in the first game back] because of the physical demands of the game, but it was great to be back out there and you realise you do miss that feeling sometimes.

"At the back of the season, you're waiting for a break sometimes as well, but you do miss it and I don't think anybody will want to be in that situation again."

Jones has been something of a trailblazer for female match officials, being the first to officiate in a Super League match three years ago after being appointed as an in-goal judge for a match between Wigan Warriors and Wakefield Trinity at the DW Stadium.

She will also be out refereeing the day before St Helens face Castleford Tigers in the Women's Super League semi-finals, live on Sky Sports this Sunday, although while she has ambitions to progress up the ranks, her priority at present is her playing career.

Jones was one of eight Saints players named in the England squad for their long-awaited return to action in June's mid-season international with Wales, scoring a try in the 60-0 win at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

She has her sights on next month's clash with France in Perpignan too, along with being part of Craig Richard's squad for the postponed Rugby League World Cup in England, which will now take place next year.

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"The Wales game was massive for us because we hadn't been out as a squad since 2019 when we went to Papua New Guinea, so that was really good to get what we've been doing in training into practise in a game environment," Jones said.

"Then leading up to October, we've got the international game in France as well which should be exciting, building that momentum and keeping it going leading into the World Cup.

"At this moment in time, my playing career is the priority. We're now 12 months out from the World Cup, but I'm working really hard towards that - currently in the England squad - so that's something I'm going to put first and foremost, and my No. 1 goal is to go and do that."

At club level it has been a successful year so far too, with St Helens on course for a treble after defeating York City Knights 34-6 to claim the Challenge Cup in June and securing the League Leader's Shield last week following a 52-0 win over Wigan Warriors.

The team were able to celebrate that Cup win alongside the men's team in a joint open-top bus parade through the town after Kristian Woolf's side triumphed over Castleford at Wembley six weeks after the women's success, and Jones is naturally eager to claim Grand Final glory too.

"Hopefully we can go on to win the treble," Jones said. "That's what we're working towards and the journey is not finished yet.

"With the men being successful as well, we're getting that support from the club and to do that open-top bus parade alongside the men was really special and something we'll never forget.

"All of the girls are really thankful to the club for their support, and the likes of [chief executive] Mike Rush and [chairman] Eamonn McManus. We are all one club and the support we get is brilliant."

Saints get Sunday's semi-final double-header at Totally Wicked Stadium underway at 1.15pm followed by reigning champions Leeds Rhinos facing York at 3.30pm, with the winners going through to the Grand Final at Emerald Headingley on Friday, October 8.

Jones wants St Helens to put on a show on their home patch as they bid to reach the Grand Final, but believes the day will be huge for the competition as a whole as well.

"It's massive for us to play this double-header on home turf, Jones said. "It's our ground, our stage and we hope to put on a performance for our home fans every time we play out there.

"But it's massive for the Women's Super League overall because it's such a big event, we can go and showcase our brand of the sport and it's a massive two games.

"Hopefully there will be a decent crowd there, and it can only get the game bigger and better because we're going out there to showcase what we can do with our brand of the sport."