Henderson played in the second row and was a member of Clifton Ladies RFC in the early 1990s. In 1992, she was named among the replacements for England in an international against Wales although did not play in that match.[3]
She relocated to Newcastle later that year and by 1993 was playing for Novocastrians.[2][4] During that season she established herself as a prominent forward and scored a try and kicked a conversion in a match for the club.[5]
Henderson later returned to Clifton Ladies, where she was active throughout the mid-1990s.[6] In 1995 she was selected for a North representative side as a Clifton player.[6] She continued to play for Clifton into the late 1990s and early 2000s, including scoring two tries in a cup match against Lichfield in 1998.[7]
Henderson was selected for the England women's squad by 1993 and toured Canada with the national side that year.[4] She made her international debut for England against Russia on 11 April 1994 in the opening match of the 1994 Women's Rugby World Cup[8] and was part of the England squad that won that tournament. She went on to become an established international forward, earning 31 caps for England.[1]
Henderson continued to represent England into the early 2000s and played in the 2002 Women's Rugby World Cup, where she started at lock in matches during the tournament.[9] She retired from international rugby following that tournament.[10]
Henderson played as a lock and was noted for her physical presence in the forward pack and effectiveness in close play. At the time of her retirement she was described as providing the "spine" of the England scrum, reflecting her importance to the team’s forward unit.[10]
