The NRL won’t be rushed into setting up a women’s national competition to rival the AFL, insists chief executive Todd Greenberg.
Greenberg said the NRL is instead focused on investing on laying the foundation for women’s rugby league in Australia at the grassroots level before moving onto a national league.
“Most people will go straight to mirroring the NRL’s competition and that’s not something we’re looking at at the moment,” Greenberg said at the Women in League round launch on Monday.
“What we are looking at is both state competitions and understanding how we can build from the grassroots all the way up.
“I don’t want to put an elite competition at the very top without having substance at the bottom.
“We need to make sure we’ve got equality of players, but also a quantity of players for a grassroots level. We’re doing that methodically.”
Greenberg said it was vital the governing body include key stakeholders in discussions to set up a country-wide competition, and that he wasn’t concerned about being behind rival codes.
Soccer’s W-League is heading into its 10th season, the women’s Twenty20 cricket league (WBBL) is entering its third summer, while the AFL had great success with its AFLW season this year.
“It doesn’t worry me because we’re a different sport and we have different challenges. We’ve been playing interstate rugby league and Jillaroos for a long time,” he said.
His comments come after the AFL endured a scandalous week involving the resignations of two senior executives over inappropriate relationships in the industry.
Greenberg is confident the NRL has no such problem in its ranks.
“They did have some challenges. Whilst I don’t know the details of that specifically, what I can say is that I think there’s a very strong culture inside rugby league,” he said.
“And I’m not talking just inside the NRL. I’m talking about inside all our clubs about genuine respect for women and the role they play.”
Greenberg also confirmed the game was looking at strengthening its policies on players who commit domestic violence against women, including the possibility of life bans.
“It hasn’t been back to the commission for a final approval, but it has been in development,” he said.
Lidcombe Oval
Guest
Need to get it on soon and cannot see why the delay- sure money wont be good first few seasons but once it gets up and running the skies the limit as they say and the standard will get better as it becomes more professional- girls will start playing and young women etc etc etc to build grass roots and below NRL tiers - Greenberg was a very poor choice for this role- An NRL Womens comp played on the same day/night as the men's games is the go.
Big Daddy
Guest
Agree entirely. We don't need a nationally televised comp - we just need a comp where ladies can compete. It can't be that hard. I think the AFL marketing people got a jump on league just by the fact they had the iniative to start one. We need to be more proactive not reactive.
Millsy
Guest
It's like tunnelling through a hill they usually start at both ends it's quicker. Start a women's comp in conjunction with strengthening grass roots and participation. Imo the two go hand in hand and should nrl expansion happens they same should be done for new areas. So hurry up and get on with it nrl I'm not here forever
Norad
Guest
How's the AFL womens Australian team going? Jillaroos been around for a long time. But there's no story told here by media as AFL don't have international so any comparison between codes just ignores that league is ahead of AFL.
KiwiBear
Guest
Excuses are all we ever hear from NRL HQ ! Standing still is a great way to get left behind!
At work
Roar Rookie
Laying the foundations in grassroots is code for we can't afford to fund a top division because the men are squeezing the league to top up their already hyper inflated salaries (over the last decade).
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
I'm all for a women's National competition,but not one that is rushed.There needs to be a solid base of players to underpin any national competition,and that means other non heartland states. Female participation is the fastest growing area of rugby leagues,thus build the base and you finish with the numbers and the selective player quality.Girls currently are wanting to play. The code already has a females Sydney compound the National team the Jillaroos ,who are hardly newcomers.
Oto shark
Guest
As soon as there is a women's comp, there will be more girls wanting to play as they have a goal to play at a high level and parents will also support them more as they know there is something to aim for, especially when the women at top level start getting good money . that will automatically give grassroots a good push forward.
Justin Kearney
Guest
If there is one thing greenberg is good at its announcing what isnt going to happen.