Penrith’s dream of the Panthers in the NRLW a step closer with $20m women’s centre of excellence

Penrith’s NRLW dream is a step closer to fruition with a proposed $20m centre of excellence in the pipeline. Here’s what the state of the art development would deliver for female athletes in the region.

MP Melissa McIntosh with Panthers representatives at the site of the academy. Picture: Contributed

Female rugby league is on the rise in the Penrith region and a key investment could see the Panthers move one step closer to their NRLW dream.

Shadow minister for Western Sydney and Lindsay MP Melissa McIntosh announced a $10m contribution from an elected Dutton government would go towards a Penrith Panthers Women’s Academy and Community Hub.

The proposed Penrith Panthers Women's Academy and Community Hub. Picture: Contributed

“It is time the Panthers had an NRLW team, and this commitment from the Coalition will make Penrith one step closer to being represented in seasons to come by incredibly talented female players who play in our local competition,” McIntosh said.

“Our commitment will boost girls and women’s footy participation in Penrith and right across Western Sydney.”

The Panthers are coming off finals appearances in both the Tarsha Gale (U19s) and Lisa Fiaola (U17s) Cup competitions, while female participation numbers in the Penrith District competition continue to surge.

This year over 1600 female participants are registered in the region, an increase of close to 400% from a decade ago.

In addition to this, the Panthers will field a team in the Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership for the first time, the second-tier competition under the NRLW.

The other $10m would come from the Panthers Group, with chairman Peter Graham stating it is an essential piece of infrastructure in the region.

The proposed Penrith Panthers Women's Academy and Community Hub. Picture: Contributed

“The Penrith Panthers Women’s Academy and Community Hub will deliver a world-class training environment for female athletes and a dedicated home for our growing community programs,” Graham said.

“This critical investment will help address inequality in sport, create new opportunities for women and girls, and strengthen the Panthers’ social impact across Western Sydney and western NSW.”

The NRLW becomes a 12-team competition this year with the addition of the Canterbury Bulldogs and New Zealand Warriors.

The Penrith region has produced a host of Jillaroos representatives including Shaylee Bent, Taliah Fuimaono and Sarah Togatuki.

When it was announced the Panthers would feature in the HNWP competition, head of pathways said the club wanted local female players wearing their colours throughout the grades.

“We want as many Penrith girls playing for Penrith. There are lots of Penrith girls at other clubs and we want to give them the option to play for the Panthers.”

Originally published as Penrith’s dream of the Panthers in the NRLW a step closer with $20m women’s centre of excellence