NRL throws up stop sign to rugby sevens to halt a possible drain of top female talent
With the rugby sevens international schedule increasing, other competitions, led by the NRL, are becoming acutely aware that they must slam the door shut on a possible drain of its top female talent.
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The NRL has repelled a raid by rugby sevens on its top female talent, including superstar Isabelle Kelly — for now at least.
Kelly won the inaugural women’s Golden Boot award last year after an incredible first season at the semi-professional level.
Her talent first caught the eye of the sevens program after last year’s Origin, and following a successful NRLW and Test campaign they had opened talks with her about a code switch.
But this year she will stay in rugby league.
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The Daily Telegraph understands the top 25 NRL women players signed new contracts last week, which would make any code switch this year difficult because the NRLW competition is played during September and an end-of-year Test is scheduled after that.
Last year the NRL had 40 contracted women but it has been reduced after a review of the first season. It was decided to restructure the elite-contract system, which in turn has allowed an increase in payments to the top tier and better distribution of money across all players in the game.
Rugby sevens was talking to NRLW and AFLW stars about switching following news the World Series would increase to eight rounds next year, meaning the Australian squad numbers will go up, too.
There are also the Olympics, Oceania Sevens and Pacific Games to play in 2019.
Australian women’s sevens coach John Manenti said there was more talent than ever in the sevens game, but targeting the other contact football codes would expand that pool and the players could easily make the transition.
“The right people you want to move pretty quick,” he said.
“It’s got to be someone who can transition and have some of the tools that you need. You don’t want to start with a total blank canvas.
“We’ll do that going forward to the 2024 Olympics. Looking at athletes with skills that transition; kicking, passing, already good contact skills, whether that’s out of Aussie rules or rugby league. Either way, I think our eyes are open.
“If that happens, that’s great, if it doesn’t happen we’re really happy with how we’ve developed the group and have plenty of gold-medal girls who are still on the team and are returning from injury and getting ready to go.”
Sevens has been a leader in professionalising women’s sport, having centralised its program in 2014 ahead of the Rio Olympics.
Former coach Tim Walsh pulled in players from many different sports, including non-contact ones such as touch football and basketball.
In the process, he created a team that went on to win the gold medal.
Manenti is open to doing the same and knows sevens still has one of the best packages for female professional athletes, including pay parity, world travel and the lure of Olympic gold.
“We’re one of the leaders, I suppose, in professional, paid athletes in certainly Australia and even across the whole world for female sport,” he said.
“It’s got to be enticing for somebody who wants to have sport as their profession and maybe want to chase an Olympic medal.”
Manenti will also consider his own backyard.
The Super W finals start this weekend and there could be another Sam Treherne out there. The former Queensland Reds fullback was picked up by the shortened form of the game last year and has become a regular squad member since.
The Reds play the Brumbies in this weekend’s two versus three playoff. The winners will face champions the NSW Waratahs in next week’s final at Leichhardt Oval.
2 V 3 PLAYOFF
QUEENSLAND V BRUMBIES
Sunday 31 March, 3.35pm (AEDT)
Ballymore Stadium
GRAND FINAL
NSW WARATAHS V PLAYOFF WINNER
Sunday 7 April, 4.30pm (AEDT)
Leichhardt Oval
Originally published as NRL throws up stop sign to rugby sevens to halt a possible drain of top female talent
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