NRLW 2020: Women’s rugby league loses momentum in coronavirus crisis

Premiership-winning Broncos coach Kelvin Wright said a cancelled NRLW season could impact the growing influence the competition has on women’s sport.

Millie Boyle celebrates with Ali Brigginshaw (left) and Amy Turner (right) after winning the 2019 NRLW grand final match. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

Premiership-winning Broncos coach Kelvin Wright says a cancelled NRLW season will halt the momentum of the women’s game, but hopes it won’t have to come to that.

Reports emerged over the weekend that the Roosters and the Warriors had told the NRL they would withdraw from the 2020 NRLW season in a bid to cut costs, as the governing body held talks over the future of the competition.

An NRL spokeswoman confirmed on Sunday there had been discussions around whether the NRLW would go ahead this year.

“The future of NRLW in 2020 remains undecided at this stage, given the uncertain circumstances of the public health crisis,” a spokeswoman told The Courier-Mail.

It comes after Queensland’s inaugural statewide women’s competition, the BHP Premiership, was cancelled on Friday and the National Championships, to be played in May, was also canned.

Millie Boyle celebrates with Ali Brigginshaw (left) and Amy Turner (right) after winning the 2019 NRLW grand final match. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

The cancellations have raised questions over the immediate future of the women’s State of Origin and the NRLW season, to be played in September, as the governing body deals with the social and financial impacts the game is facing.

In previous seasons, the four NRLW clubs – the Broncos, Dragons, Roosters and Warriors – have had to outlay between $300,000 and $400,000 each to field a team.

It is understood NRL hierarchy have held off from issuing NRLW contracts for the upcoming 2020 season until there is more certainty around the game’s future.

Broncos NRLW coach Kelvin Wright. Picture: Peter Wallis

Wright said a cancelled NRLW season could impact the growing influence the competition has on women’s sport but admitted the game was facing unprecedented circumstances.

“There’s a lot of people working hard for it (to happen),” Wright said.

“We know they’ll do what’s right.

“Obviously there will be a lot of financial burdens on NRL clubs as well.

“If anything, it will just halt the momentum of the women’s game but every sport is in the same boat.”

Wright has begun filming backyard-friendly skills-based videos not just for his own playing group, but younger girls who the club have been looking to sign in the future, in a bid to maintain their level of skill.

“The lockdown is particularly hard on the young kids who run around playing sports each week, whatever sport that might be,” he said.

“It’s a great release for them.

“Everyone’s in the same boat at the moment and it’s a good time to stay positive, motivated and get our heads back to normality.

“If the players work hard, then when it does come time to start up again, hopefully we haven’t gone backward at all.

“Hopefully, we’re ready to go again.”