Rachel Iliya is a Nigerian amateur rugby league footballer who plays as a loose forward for Eko Trinity and the Nigeria women's national rugby league team.
Iliya was introduced to rugby league by Abiodun Olawale-Cole, the chairman of Nigeria Rugby League, after playing amateur flag football. Prior to this, Iliya worked as a part-time cleaner from a young age on a monthly salary of £7.50 to support her family, mainly her brother who has sickle cell disease, while also playing association football. She now works as a personal trainer and had a six-month training programme with Bradford Bulls. [1]
Iliya made her international debut in 2024 during Nigeria's 2026 World Cup qualification playoff against Kenya, in which she score two second half tries. [2] After playing in the second leg, she helped Nigeria hold out for a 22–22 draw, going through to the next round of goals kicked. [3] [4]
The following year, Iliya was selected for the second and final round of World Cup qualification, an interconfederation tournament held in Canada. [5] In the semi-finals she scored a second half try to secure a 10–0 victory over Ireland, [6] thought missed out on World Cup qualification losing the final to Fiji. [6]