Push for female league fixtures
A NEW statewide women’s rugby league competition could be on the cards as soon as next year.
The Cairns Post can reveal the Queensland Rugby League is in discussions about starting a women’s competition, which could feature two teams based in regional Queensland.
Cairns and Mackay were mentioned as possible bases for teams, while Townsville appears a strong option given the strength of its women’s rugby league competition and the introduction of the Cowboys’ Women’s Academy, which will start next year.
QRL competitions manager David Maiden said a short competition could run alongside the Mal Meninga Cup, but will importantly bridge the gap between local leagues and the women’s State of Origin team.
Maiden confirmed expressions of interest were sent to clubs, but funding would determine if it got off the ground.
He was confident the NRL would provide funding to the plan, given it aligns with rugby league’s strategic plan.
“We need to provide that opportunity for women,” Maiden said. “We’ll always struggle at Origin level if we don’t bridge that gap. In NSW these women are playing a lot of high standard rugby league before Origin, whereas here some players are lucky to play three games over a weekend.
“We’d be one of the few sports in which you’d have a Jillaroos representative playing alongside someone who’s never played the game before.”
Cairns contributed three players to the Maroons this year despite the absence of a traditional tackle competition.
Jillaroos veteran Heather Ballinger played alongside Cairns-born Jenni-Sue Hoepper, who now plays at Townsville, and Stephanie Mooka, who came from nowhere to earn an Origin debut.
Mooka famously played a representative AFL fixture, then drove overnight to Mackay to play for a Cairns representative team. She made a Northern Marlins team then earned a nod for the Maroons.
“Her preparation for rugby league was largely at indigenous carnivals, but we want to provide the opportunity to play that higher standard of footy more often,” he said.