NRLW 2024: Ali Brigginshaw wants ‘Matildas moment’ for Jillaroos in Las Vegas 2025
The Jillaroos take on England as part of a four-game rugby league extravaganza in Las Vegas 2025, and Ali Brigginshaw hopes it can be a watershed moment for women’s rugby league.
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Jillaroos skipper Ali Brigginshaw has called dibs on a ticket to Las Vegas next year, saying she wants the “Matildas moment” for women’s rugby league.
The Jillaroos are locked in to play an international Test against England as part of a four-game rugby league extravaganza in the US next year, kicking off round one for NRL and a Super League clash.
After the success of this season there was a huge push for a women’s game to be included, with Jillaroos players leading the charge.
And in the land of opportunity, the opportunities for exposure is endless.
“I definitely want to go. I want to be on the plane. I have to do it. We’ll see,” Brigginshaw said at the NRLW season launch on Tuesday.
“We just always talk about where we can take the game, we want that Matildas moment, we want the moment where people start talking about us nationally and the Jillaroos.
“Sometimes we still have to tell people who we are, and we want people to know what the Australian team is, who we are and where we’ve come from.
“So to take it over there to show our game to the world and have maybe some girls from America come and play our game, because it’s a game where you can adapt, whether you’ve played 10 years or one year, there’s a spot for you.
“The sky is the limit, pretty much.”
After a record-breaking State of Origin series the women’s game has never been in better shape.
With two teams to be added to an expanded competition next season, the timing is right to take the game to the world.
“It’s so exciting, what I love about the women’s game is it’s not predictable.
“The three game Origin series was just a thought, now we’re there … and it’ll be three games until the rest of time.
“That’s unbelievable, and then go to Vegas and play rugby league, who would have ever thought the game would get there.
“Watching the men’s game I had lots of people say, why aren’t the women there, when will we see the women there. I said, we’ll play wherever they want us to play, whether it’s on the side oval or in Vegas, we’ll pull on the jersey anywhere.”
Australia coach Brad Donald has already ruled out taking Rugby 7s code converts across to the states but after a loss to the Kiwi Ferns in the Pacific Championships last year there is a chance for changes to the squad.
The NRLW series, which kicks off on Thursday night, as well as this year’s Pacific Championships at the end of the season, will be the audition for a ticket.
“I think everyone wants a ticket to Vegas,” said Jillaroos star Tarryn Aiken.
“But I think it would be a really exciting opportunity for whoever gets to go to showcase the Jillaroos brand in Vegas, to show America what women’s rugby league is and what we do. It’s really exciting.”
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Originally published as NRLW 2024: Ali Brigginshaw wants ‘Matildas moment’ for Jillaroos in Las Vegas 2025
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