Excitement high ahead of the 2023 NRRRL women’s tackle competition

The local footy season might have kicked off last week, but the NRRRL women’s tackle comp will start this weekend in what is its most exciting season to date.

While the local footy season in the Northern Rivers officially kicked off last weekend with the NRRRL’s senior men’s, under-18s and ladies league tag competitions, there will be another exciting launch this weekend with the start of the region’s women’s tackle competition.

In just its second season, six clubs – Casino, Kyogle, Lower Clarence, Northern United, South Grafton and Tweed Coast – will fight it out for the premiership, with the competition kicking off with a triple-header at the Yamba Sporting Complex on Saturday.

“I can’t wait for the season to start,” said Tweed Coast Raiders’ forward Tarah Smith. “We’re all really excited for it to kick-off.”

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It’s a similar sentiment for Lower Clarence’s Raeyah Kapeen.

“There’s a bit of excitement and a bit of nervousness. It’s going to be a big season.”

Lower Clarence are returning to the competition after featuring in last year’s inaugural season. Photo: supplied

Indeed, the six-team competition is an increase on the four that took part last year, with the addition of the new teams reflecting the sharp rise in women taking up tackle footy.

The number of women playing league across the state rose from 18,915 in 2019 to a record 23,202 last year, with year-to-date figures from the NSWRL showing that female registrations are up by another 22 per cent in 2023.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the girls finally playing tackle in this area,” said Karri Williams, who plays in the halves for Northern United.

While the competition is in its second season, the 2023 campaign will be the first with a team from Lismore.

“I’m pretty nervous, I’m just coming back from injury, but I’m just excited to show everyone what we’ve got here and the talent that goes to waste if we don’t have a tackle season, so hopefully that’ll show people how important it is for us girls to play tackle and to keep it going,” said Williams.

Northern United will feature in this year’s women's tackle competition. Photo: supplied.

For many of the women, the explosion of tackle league competitions in recent years, which has followed on from the establishment of league tag, has provided them with an opportunity to do something they’ve always wanted to.

“My cousins and little brother have always played footy for the Cudgen Hornets and I’ve been involved with them,” said Smith. “As soon as Cudgen brought in a league tag team I started playing for them at 17. I still play league tag but I jumped as soon as I got the chance to play tackle, because I’ve always really enjoyed the watching the NRL and really wanted to give it a crack.”

There was a similar inspiration for Kapeen, who just like Smith was inspired by her family to take up league.

“My brothers always played, so I always went to their games and thought it was so good, but I was always a bit scared to play, a bit nervous. There weren’t any girls’ comps, so when league tag started up I went to that. I was nervous to play my first game of tackle, I nearly backed out, but I loved it,” she said.

“There’s just so much more contact and you just get so much more involved in the game. It’s just so fun. Also the good sportsmanship in the women’s game as well. A lot of the girls will say during the game, ‘Oh, that was a great tackle’ or ‘good run’ – just uplifting each other during the game. It just gives you such a good feeling to keep going.”

Tarah Smith has represented the North Rivers Titans at the Country Championships. Photo: supplied.

While some might be reasonably new to the game, for others like Williams, the establishment and expansion of the competition has provided her with an opportunity to play tackle league on a regular basis.

“I’ve always played it. I grew up with two brothers and always wanted to play with the boys, so I played backyard footy. I obviously couldn’t play a tackle comp in my teenage years but I’d play it whenever I’d get the chance with school, playing touch or rep carnivals,” she said.

“There is so much talent in this area and before we didn’t have the comps for the scouters to find the players, so it’s a step in the right direction.”

The increase in these opportunities has also coincided with the establishment and expansion of the NRLW competition, which has proven be another inspiration for budding league players in the Northern Rivers.

“It’s been massive. Bringing in the four new teams this year into the NRLW is a huge step, which means there are a lot more positions to be filled, a lot more pathways and they’re looking for a lot more girls, so it’s really exciting.”

Indeed, while they might be lining up against each other in this year’s NRRRL competition, Smith, Kapeen and Williams have all previously crossed paths as teammates for the Northern Rivers Titans representative team.

The Northern Rivers Titans' representative women's tackle team that competed at the 2023 Country Championships. Photo: supplied.

In the most recent Women’s Country Championships, which took place in Coffs Harbour earlier this month, the team won two of its four games in what was its best performance in years.

“It was a really amazing experience,” said Smith, who co-captained the side.

Looking ahead to season 2023, while the response from the players has been incredibly positive, they aren’t the only ones excited for the footy to start.

“The support network has grown so much,” says Kapeen. “There are so many people who just go for the women’s games. It’s so good to see, and the men are sticking around after their games to watch.”

And while all teams are in it to win it, Northern United’s skipper Williams says her goals for the season go far beyond just lifting the trophy on grand final day.

“Yes, I’d love to win, but I just tell the girls to have fun and commit, because this is our chance to show the NRRRL, NSWRL and the people running this competition that we have talent here and we need tackle footy more than ever,” she said. “To me, it’s more about having fun and putting a show on for them.”