Straddie’s first all-girls league team denied after registration setback

An island’s first all-girls rugby league team has been blocked from joining a mainland competition after missing a registration deadline but their season may still be alive just not on the island.

The Straddie girls who wanted to form an under 13 rugby league team with their coach

A group of North Stradbroke Island girls who had hoped to launch the island’s first all-girls rugby league team have been told to join a mainland team if they want to play this season.

The squad, made up of 17 girls, most in their early teens with 16 identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, had been training and preparing for months to kick off their own island team.

However, the Queensland Rugby League said that only three of the girls were officially registered by the deadline of March 31 – a claim disputed by the parents of the girls.

As a result of the late registrations and low numbers, the Straddie team nomination was not accepted by the QRL and South East Queensland Rugby League Brisbane.

Straddie Sharks Football Club at Dunwich. Picture: Facebook

Despite the setback, 10 of the girls were offered spots to play with the Wynnum Manly Seagulls under a permit system that allows temporary transfers between clubs.

The QRL is believed to be investigating refunding $45 deposits for registrations for any girls who have now decided not to play this season.

Parents said 14 players were registered by the deadline and the offer to join the Wynnum Manly Seagulls team on the mainland was “unachievable” due to the difficulty of travelling to and from the island.

The parents also said not all of the girls were able to be registered with the Seagulls and were surprised when the club advertised for boys under 13 to make up teams on April 10, after the deadline.

Straddie Sharks advertised for more under 13 boys to play on April 10. Picture: Facebook

Team organiser Kiesha Coghill-Karklis said the news was disappointing for the young players, many of whom had looked forward to competing together.

“We have worked so hard to make this team a reality for our girls,” Ms Coghill-Karklis said.

“Now with only two weeks before the season starts, they’re told they can’t play? It’s gutting.”

Female rugby league participation in Queensland grew by nearly 13 per cent in 2024, with the number of registered players climbing to 11,630.

That compared to female participation in New South Wales which rose by 14 per cent reaching a record 29,970 registered female players.

Under SEQ Rugby League rules, clubs seeking to field female teams in the Rugby League Brisbane competition must be recognised as sanctioned female clubs — typically by having more than one girls’ team.

This regulation led to the Straddie Sharks being deemed ineligible.

Some parents and community members expressed concern over the decision, questioning why an exception couldn’t be made for an island team with full community support.

“These organisations say they want to grow the women’s game, yet here are 17 girls ready to play and they’re told no,” local advocate Taneeka Perry said.

In an appeal, Elders from Yulu-Burri-Ba Aboriginal Corporation for Community Health backed the team, emphasising the island’s limited population, strong cultural connection to the game, and the potential positive impact on youth wellbeing.

“Rugby league is more than just a game on our island,” the letter stated. “It offers our children structure, motivation, identity, and purpose.”

An excerpt from the letter to the QRL asking for them to make an exception for the under 13 girls team. Picture: Contributed

Rugby League Brisbane and the QRL responded claiming the players have been offered permit transfers for this season to Wynnum Manly Seagulls, an endorsed RLB female club to ensure the girls have the chance to play before they return to play for Straddie Sharks in 2026.

“The club itself has acknowledged they don’t meet the requirements to enter the competition this year,” the QRL said in a statement.

“A team must have 17 members as a minimum, however the team only had three females registered at the time of their nomination being reviewed. Currently, registrations sit at 10 players.”

A Straddie Sharks spokesman, who has been with the club for nearly 40 years, said the problem was primarily one of timing and compliance with process.

He said the current state policy was introduced to ensure the long-term viability of female programs and that clubs with only one girls’ team were only included if they had been approved prior to the rule change.

“This wasn’t about location, gender, or anything else. It was about meeting deadlines and processes,” he said.

“At the time of the nominations deadline, we only had three girls registered and by the time more girls committed, it was too late as the draw was already finalised and the season set to start.

“There were simply too many boxes we couldn’t tick at the time.

“They’ll play with Wynnum for this year, and next year we’ll be better prepared,” he said.

Ms Coghill-Karklis said parents and players were not going to give up.

“This is about our girls, they deserve the same opportunities as anyone else. We’re not giving up.”

Originally published as Straddie’s first all-girls league team denied after registration setback