NRLW 2022: Roosters and Dragons locked in to play first match at new Allianz Stadium
In a groundbreaking move initiated by the Roosters, the NRLW will be the first competition to take centre stage at Sydney’s newest stadium when the Roosters play the Dragons.
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The rapid growth of women’s rugby league has continued with the NRL announcing a groundbreaking move to open the new Allianz Stadium with the NRLW game between the Roosters and Dragons.
And News Corp can reveal it was the Roosters’ initiative to have their women’s side open the new stadium after strong discussions between the board, the NRL and Venues NSW.
Negotiations started about eight weeks ago and ramped up in the past fortnight with the club pushing hard to give the reigning NRLW premiers first use of the venue after it was originally advertised that the NRL side would play the Rabbitohs in the first game at Allianz Stadium.
“We were the reason it is a double-header. It’s come from our board and our club that we pushed to have it along with the SCG,” Robinson told the NCA NewsWire.
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“There was some resistance towards it, but we believe the women opening the stadium is right for our game and for our club. That’s why Nick Politis and the board, along with Joe Kelly, pushed really hard to get them to open the stadium.”
The Round 25 NRL match between archrivals the Roosters and Rabbitohs was originally slated to christen the venue, but it will now be a double-header instead, with a rematch of the 2021 NRLW Grand Final to go down in the record books as the first sporting event at the new complex in Moore Park.
History will be made on September 2, and it will be a fitting return for the Roosters who also beat the Dragons back in 2018 on the same night the NRL side beat the Rabbitohs in the preliminary final when the old SFS was farewelled.
“This is an exciting moment for the women’s game and rugby league,” NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said. “Our remarkable female athletes will create Australian sporting history in the state-of-the-art new stadium.
“I’d like to thank our broadcast partners, the Sydney Roosters and Venues NSW for helping us make this is a reality.”
The Round 3 NRLW game was going to be played at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday, September 4, but the heavyweight clash has been brought forward to showcase two of the top teams in the competition.
“This is a momentous occasion in the history of our club and for the game to open the new Allianz Stadium with our NRLW team hosting the St George Illawarra Dragons,” Sydney Roosters CEO Joe Kelly said.
“We are a proud foundation club in both the women’s and men’s competitions, and for the Sydney Roosters NRLW team to be the first to ever play at our new home ground is a significant moment for the Sydney Roosters family.”
Superstar centre Isabelle Kelly scored a try in last season’s grand final and cannot wait to be there for the opening of the new stadium as the Roosters look to defend their title.
“This is such an exciting moment for everyone involved at the Roosters, and the honour of being the first team to ever play at the Roosters new home at Allianz Stadium isn’t one we take lightly,” she said.
“The Roosters have been invested in the women’s program for a number of years now and we really appreciate the club’s efforts to make this happen.
“I know I speak on behalf of the entire NRLW squad when I say thank you and that we can’t wait to run out onto our new home on the night.”
Bremner ready for NRLW return
-Martin Gabor
She’s won two World Cups and helped NSW end 17 years of interstate heartache, but that’s not why those closest to Sam Bremner describe her as a “one in a million” human.
It also has nothing to do with the countless medals and trophies that are the envy of just about every footy player in Australia.
The reason why everyone looks up to Bremner ahead of the upcoming NRLW season is because she ample proof that motherhood shouldn’t mean a woman’s career has to come to an end.
“I certainly didn’t feel like I had anything to prove to anyone else,” Bremner told the NCA NewsWire.
But the 30-year-old is still more than happy to chat about life, footy and motherhood, while one child cries and another wants a snack before dinner.
Her little boy Reef, turns three today, while Lakey turns one in a few months.
THE RETURN
Yet the 30-year-old is preparing for the NRLW season opener in two weeks after making the move to the Roosters this season, where she’ll play fullback for the defending premiers.
Somewhat fittingly, she’ll replace Corban Baxter, who is pregnant.
Motherhood and sport can be a taboo subject, but other players are looking to Bremner who is ready to return to the NRLW as a proud mother of two.
“I’ve put a lot of hard work into returning and I was challenged along the way because it is really hard trying to juggle your career with life with children,” she said.
“My perspective, gratitude and balance changed.”
It was on a beach in Bali where she seriously contemplated returning to the game.
“And I think one of the blessings that kids give you is that you can’t not be in the moment when you’re with them,” she said.
“I was so mentally rejuvenated after I had my first child because it gave me a mental break from footy, so when I returned to the gym to train for football, I was mentally there but I could then switch off straight away to be a mum when I left the gym.
“I’m mentally so much fresher when I’m at training or in a game because I’ve got that balance right.”
THE INSPIRATION
Dragons skipper Kezie Apps has played plenty of footy with Bremner, but she’ll never forget one particular session just months after she’d had Reef.
“I remember when Sam came back after having Reef, she came to a Jillaroos camp and thrashed everybody in fitness,” Apps said.
“She’s one in a million.”
Roosters centre Isabelle Kelly says the legendary fullback’s maternal skills will be a huge asset in a young team.
“She’s a massive inspiration to everyone in the game because of her work ethic on and off the field and she’s always striving to be a better player and a better person,” Kelly said.
“We have a very young team this year at the Roosters, so having someone the calibre of Sammy to help the younger girls is going to be so good for our team.
“I said to her at training last week that I’ve never seen her so determined. This will be her season to shine.
“She’s striving to push for the Jillaroos, and you can see that hunger at training.”
Apps wants to follow in her great mate’s footsteps.
“For her to come back after having two children is a massive inspiration. I know for me, I’m getting older so I obviously want to have kids soon,” she said.
“Seeing her do that gives me belief and courage and the inspiration I need because if she can do it, hopefully I can do it as well.
“I know you can’t really compare yourself to her because she’s so professional with everything she does. She would be the hardest worker I’ve ever seen.
“Just because I mentioned children, doesn’t mean I’ll stop playing footy. If I have a child then I of course want to come back, but I won’t know until I have a child.
“I don’t want to rule out this as my last World Cup because there’s another one in three years. So I might have a baby, train my bum off and come back and hopefully make it again.”
The comments took Bremner by surprise.
“It puts a big smile on my dial because I feel like it’s one thing getting complimented on who you are and what you do,” she said.
“But when your actions aren’t intended to be complimented, it warms my heart that those actions are inspiring people just by living my own life.
“It wasn’t as though I wrote down on a piece of paper that I was going to write down A, B and C to inspire people.
“To make people who are really close to me feel inspired makes me so happy.”
THE GOALS
Bremner isn’t shy about her ambitions for 2022, with a Jillaroos call-up the ultimate goal for the World Cup at the end of the year.
She knows the competition is fierce with Emma Tonegato and others in line for the fullback role, but just being back on the field is something that is still sinking in for her.
Just a year after she had Lakey, Bremner was back on the field for the Sharks in the Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership.
She helped that team reach the final and even scored a late try that looked to have won them the title, only for the Tigers to beat them in extra-time.
Sandwiched in that was State of Origin, where Bremner was picked as 18th woman for the Blues even though she hadn’t played NRLW for nearly two years.
But she still wasn’t satisfied.
“I mean that as a positive because I feel like if I’m not hard on myself, then I wouldn’t have achieved what I have in the game and I wouldn’t have been able to have two kids and then return to the elite level, she said.
“At the same time, it’s a negative because making the 18 was such a proud moment for me.
“But I had to really listen to my husband and my coach who were telling me what an achievement it was, because for me, I wanted to be back playing at the highest level as soon as possible.
“I had to allow myself to be proud of what I’d achieved, but then I had to quickly move on to thinking about how I’d make the next team and prove to myself that I can still play rugby league at this level.
“I have been very goal-driven throughout my career. I write everything down and I move Heaven and Earth to tick off those goals.”
THE MOVE
It’s not like the 2016 RLPA Players’ Champion has taken the easy road back.
Bremner and her family have moved to Bulli which would make the Dragons a logical choice for her to travel to and from training as quickly as possible to be with her kids.
But she instead opted for the Roosters.
“If I was going to return, I knew that would mean a lot of time away from my family so I wanted to make sure that I was in an environment that I was motivated by,” she said.
“The Dragons absolutely motivated me.
“But this year my goal was to do everything differently because if I want something that I’ve never had, then I’ve got to do something that I’ve never done.
“I’ve been playing for 12 years.
“In a non-cocky way, I’ve ticked a lot of boxes so by changing things, I know that I remain motivated and can keep learning things.
“I didn’t really have the courage to leave the Dragons because they mean so much to me. This is where I live, it’s where I was brought up and I even moved closer to the club now that I live in Bulli.
“But when the opportunity came to play fullback in place of Corban, I thought it was a magnificent opportunity, especially in a World Cup year where I might not have given myself much of a chance if I didn’t play as much at the Dragons.”
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