FNRL’s plan for women’s competition in rugby league
THE Fiji National Rugby League is extending an invitation to women and sporting organisations outside the sport who want to play rugby league.
The invitation is for women to form teams that could compete in the FNRL’s proposed women’s national competition to start this year.
FNRL acting chief executive officer Don Natabe said the plan was to give Fijian women an opportunity to expose their sporting talents.
“This year we plan to bring in a women’s competition,” Natabe said.
“We have been trying for some time to resurrect the women’s competition to promote the sport and entice young women into the sport to expose their talents.
“We are planning to start a competition in the open grade and we plan to work with the six teams that will participate in this weekend’s Navosa-Nadroga Nines tournament at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka.
“Initially we wanted the follow the NRL women’s format but we want to first establish the demand to have a women’s competition. We know we have the number of players to make a competition but we are concerned with their welfare.
“That is why we are having consultation with clubs which would be included in the competition to map a way forward for the event.”
He said the past success of the Fiji Bulikula team and the Fiji 9s team helped promote the idea for the competition.
“We are looking at it on a three-year basis. In 2019 the women’s nines team won the gold medal at the Pacific Games. In the same year, they went to Australia and in their inaugural match, they thrashed PNG 28-0. It was their first international appearance and it was quite an achievement. We have the talents and the number of players, but the missing link is the interest from organisations, societies and clubs who could manage and operate a women’s rugby league team.
“The strategy now is to work with existing clubs in the FNRL and other interested clubs outside such as from rugby union or touch rugby to come in and participate in the women’s competition.”
He competition would be held at national level.
We have been trying for some time to resurrect the women’s competition to promote the sport and entice young women into the sport to expose their talents – Don Natabe