Macarthur Rams crowned NPL Women’s champions as the local game enjoys participation boom
Macarthur Rams capped off the NPL NSW Women’s season with consecutive titles as football participation continues to grow in the state on the back of an extraordinary Matildas home campaign.
Local Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The Macarthur Rams have claimed back-to-back NPL NSW Women’s championships after a stunning 2-0 grand final win over local rivals Bulls FC Academy.
The match seemed to be heading for extra time before the introduction of Rams supersub Leena Khamis, who netted two goals in quick succession to seal a consecutive championship.
It capped off an action packed year of women’s football in NSW, which included the introduction of the Sapphire Cup and an expanded NPL season.
“I think we started off with the expectation that it was always going to be a big year,” Football NSW CEO John Tsatsimas said.
“It’s been nothing short of outstanding, the interest in women’s football is easily the highest it’s ever been.”
Football has always been one of the highest participation sports in the country and has now seen a 47% increase in registrations for summer competitions in NSW this year on the back of the Matildas massive FIFA World Cup campaign and Tsatsimas said he hopes it will only continue to grow.
“I see no reason why this can’t be sustainable in the future,” he said.
“If you create a safe, nurturing environment at the club level people will stay.”
Veteran goalkeeper and Bulls FC Academy captain Trudy Simmons said the renewed support in women’s football since the World Cup has been unbelievable.
“You can definitely tell there’s been a spike in interest in programs and opportunities,” Simmons said.
“And I think that’s all down to how the World Cup was publicised by the media.
“The Matildas are all household names now, you can ask anyone who Mackenzie Arnold is and they could tell you.
“I think that shows in the A-League Women’s memberships as well with so many clubs smashing their all-time membership records.”
With participation continuing to grow and more interest than ever, Tsatsimas said it’s only a matter of time before local competitions reach the national level.
“Our focus has been to provide women and girls as much opportunity as we can and that needs to translate on a national level,” Tsatsimas said.
“We’ve done what we can within our own organisation and I don’t see why we won’t have an equivalent of the Australia Cup in the near future.”
The hidden AFL gems from the South Coast leagues of NSW
They’re the hidden country footy gems from the South Coast regions of NSW. Here’s 30+ of the best from the three major competitions.
Group 9 RL: 20+ players to watch on grand final day
Group 9’s biggest day is upon us with five divisions in action at Wagga. We take a look at the 20+ players who can make an impact and lead their team to grand final glory.