Fresh off appointing Raelene Castle as their new chief executive, Rugby Australia has announced a new women’s competition in the 15-a-side format for 2018.
The competition, known as Super W, will run alongside the men’s Super Rugby tournament with five state teams – Queensland, NSW, ACT, and Victoria, as well as Western Australia after the Force were sensationally scrapped from Super Rugby earlier this year.
Until now, women’s rugby in Australia was divided into local and regional competitions, with there being occasional representative opportunities domestically.
Having five teams all located in different states will give the competition a truly national sense, and like other codes who have recently announced competitions, they aren’t rushing into making it bigger than there is the talent for.
Outgoing RA CEO Bill Pulver hailed the decision, saying:
“For a young girl picking up a rugby ball for the first-time next season, she will now have a clear and accessible pathway to represent her country through the Wallaroos and Australian Women’s Sevens team.
“Super W will allow our women’s XVs players the opportunity to play in a high-quality competition, fully entrenched within the professional programs at each state giving them access to elite coaching and high-performance facilities. This will make the Wallaroos a significantly stronger outfit moving forward.”
Women’s sevens co-captain and Wallaroos skipper Shannon Parry also lauded the new competition.
“I am really proud and excited about this competition launching next year and what this means for the game in Australia,” Parry said.
“Since I started playing rugby in Brisbane the game has come along in leaps and bounds and this competition means that there is opportunity now for all XVs players and sevens players at the elite level.
“It’s going to be great to see Women’s State teams slug it out against each other and will open a lot of girls’ eyes up to the opportunities for them in Rugby.
While sevens rugby has been booming for the Australian national side leading to the establishment of a women’s domestic university competition last year, the new 15-a-side competition will see a much more defined national pathway built to Wallaroos representation.
The Australian national side finished the recent 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup in sixth place, losing the fifth-place play-off 36-24 to Ireland.
The next World Cup slated to be held during 2021 with the hosts still to be decided.
Australia’s sevens side took home the gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and many of those players are likely to line up in the new competition.
The announcement from Rugby Australia comes hot on the heels of the NRL announcing their own competition for women just a week ago.
It also means there are now major women’s competitions for all of Australia’s major sporting codes: rugby union and league, cricket (although there is no national four-day competition yet), football and AFL.
noone
Guest
It nearly mentions it, "they're going to cover their costs"... Even a small payment for the short season would be a start. Bit of an ask to become professional at a sport if youre busy working. Do you think if Mr X dropped a few million as sponsorship maybe it would go to paying the girls, or back in RA's coffers?
I Worlds Biggest
Guest
Great stuff !
Train Without A Station
Guest
Nah. Plenty of people won’t consider that an amateur 6 week competition costs a fraction of the $6M they’d grant a Super Rugby team...
Train Without A Station
Guest
That doesn’t really say anything about what is paying for it...
rebel
Guest
I just hope league doesn't get too much of a jump on them.
sheek
Guest
Am I the only one who finds it curious that RA can initiate a five team women's comp with WA, but only a four team men's comp minus WA? For me, this lends weight to the belief the Force were dumped to get SANZAAR out of a pickle all of its own doing. With the approval of its member unions, of course.
simmo
Guest
Exactly, show the ladies the money or they will go to other sports. Pulver forgot the most important ingredient, doh!
ClarkeG
Guest
"no matter how well the girls play it, it will never be at the same level due to the physical differences between genders" Yes but so what.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
It won't be at present. They are looking to transition it over a period of a few seasons.
rebel
Guest
depends what you mean by code. Womens football has been professional for years in the US as has basketball. Netball for longer also. If league is professional then I'm afraid they will still lose players.
noone
Guest
Bit hard to disagree with. Looks more like tokenism than equality. Dont want to lose female talent to other sports? Best pay them then, same as other sports. Maybe females arent considered professional by RA? "If you had the opportunity, why would you play rugby for free at the elite level, when you can get a good wage and great conditions playing AFL, soccer, or netball?" (or NRL it appears.) I think the W comp is a great plan, who knows, maybe they just forgot to mention any payment...
Working Class Rugger
Guest
Yeah, and then there's that.
John R
Roar Guru
Pretty sure Aus was the first country/code to make women fully professional with the 7's aye.
Bakkies
Guest
AON 7s wasn't going to keep the girls away from signing NRL contracts if they receive offers.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
Look up the AON 7s. Not exactly catching up. More adding to the schedule.
deanB
Guest
You might be right but this is claiming otherwise. Most amateur professional sporting administration ever. http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-13/rugby-australia-announces-women27s-competition-for-2018/9254602
Jarijari
Roar Rookie
They had to get moving and try to catch up with the other codes.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
Of course there's a bloody difference between men and women playing the game but that doesn't make the development of programs and opportunities to play directed at women any less valid. And it doesn't make what those opportunities present less legitimate. Get out of the 50s.
Jacko
Guest
Sorry but if you think rugby is a mans game then you are wrong. The Womens WC held this year was fantastic and the skill level on show would put a lot of mens reams to shame...Its tough and unconpromising and skillful and exciting.... Oh and isnt Gold Yellow?
Nowaered
Guest
We had Josephine Sukkar canning the Buildcorp NRC sponsorship because the ARU would not go ahead with the womens rugby but now all is right - but where does the money come from - will buildcorp now resume sponsorship of the NRC or just look after this new womens comp - if it is the latter then further we go down the gurgle in real international Rugby - let's face it Rugby is a man's game and no matter how well the girls play it, it will never be at the same level due to the physical differences between genders. That probably shocks a lot of the politically correct who think their is little or no difference between male and female. To our new boss Raelene, the scarf you are talking about should be gold and not yellow as you had stated. Further I hope you do not just have "conversations' with the states, franchises and sundry other rugby groups but hope you have significant in depth discussions that will resolve the many issues facing this game .