Danika Priim, a 40 year old pundit for the BBC, Sky Sports and Channel 4, has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman.
The former England, Bradford Bulls and Leeds Rhinos star is due in court next month following allegations that she ‘intentionally touched a woman aged 16 or over’ at Horsforth Cricket Club in West Yorkshire on July 22, 2022.
It’s claimed that the assault took place without the woman’s consent and that Priim ‘did not reasonably believe’ the alleged victim was consenting. Priim appeared before Leeds magistrates’ court last week, with no pleas entered at this stage.
She is now due to appear before Leeds Crown Court on March 13. Priim, from Keighley, West Yorkshire, retired from rugby league in 2021 and transitioned into broadcasting.
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Her impressive six-year career included playing for England at the 2017 World Cup in Australia and winning the Challenge Cup and Super League double with Leeds in 2019. Since retiring at 37, she has become a well-known pundit, covering the Rugby League World Cup for the BBC in 2022 and the Paris Olympics last year where she reported on the rugby sevens.
Priim has also featured on Sky Sports’ rugby league coverage and Channel 4’s Super League production in 2022. She has been nominated for an award at the Broadcast Sport Awards, reports the Mirror.
In addition to her media career, Priim is also serving as a vice-president of the sports governing body The RFL, having joined the board in September alongside president Adam Hills, host of Channel 4’s The Last Leg. Her career soared in 2024, despite her past considerations of quitting punditry due to online abuse.
She said:”I love what I do. I absolutely love every second of it. I’m in a phenomenal opportunity that I get to go and do loads of new things. But is it worth the day or two where I have cried?”
She recounted the severity of the harassment: “You know, getting inbox messages from people direct messaging me to say that they want to slit my throat because I didn’t like their team.”
Despite the challenges, Priim reflected on her determination to continue, “I have thought what’s the point? I have thought about stopping doing it at the end of last year. But then you remember that the people who employ you are the ones whose opinions matter. I’d say 90 per cent of the time it’s okay, but the other 10 per cent can be a really rough ride.”