NSW Rugby League announce creation of a nine-a-side under-18s women’s league

IT is the women’s rugby league competition to rival the AFL. The NSW Rugby League announced the creation of a nine-a-side under-18s league for 2018.

IT is the women’s rugby league competition to rival the AFL.

On Wednesday NSW Rugby League announced the creation of a nine-a-side under-18s women’s league to start next year.

To be run over nine weeks, NSWRL officials will shortly start seeking expressions of interest from NRL clubs to take part in the first full-scale women’s competition in rugby league.

With the inaugural AFL’s groundbreaking eight-team women’s league to be played in February and March in 2017, the race for female participation in sport is heating up.

Named the Tarsha Gale Nines, in honour of the former Australian and NSW captain of the 1990s, the women’s rugby league tournament will run alongside existing junior representative competitions, Harold Matthews and SG Ball.

Jillaroos Kezie App, Maddie Studdon, Ruan Sims, Alana Ferguson and Jen Latu.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for our female players. Women’s rugby league has come a long way in recent years and we are thrilled to introduce this game-changing under 18s junior representative competition,” NSWRL chief executive David Trodden said.

If successful, the new tournament will become a stepping stone to a women’s version of the NSW Intrust Super Premiership, which could be introduced in the next three to five years.

The NSWRL has offered a significant increase in funding for female pathway programs.

“The NSWRL is very excited by the opportunity this provides for female rugby league players in NSW,” said NSWRL chairman George Peponis. “Women play a huge role in the game of rugby league — and the NSWRL is proud of its ever-increasing commitment to grow the game across this great state.”

The AFL women’s league format will include six home-and-away rounds with a top four and grand final.