Despite being described as one the pioneers for women’s rugby league, the Cronulla Sharks have been denied a licence for the first season of the new women’s NRL competition.
The NRL on Tuesday morning announced the inaugural season would be a four-team competition, set to be played at the back-end of the 2018 season, with the women’s grand final slated to be played on the same day as the men’s grand final.
Instead, the competition will feature the St George Illawarra Dragons, New Zealand Warriors, Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters.
NRL CEO Todd Greenberg said he thinks the balance is right for the first season.
“We think we’ve got the balance right for our first year and I would expect more NRL clubs to join the competition in the years ahead,” Greenberg said.
“The formation of a women’s premiership is one of the most exciting developments the game has seen.
“For the first time, our best female players will have the opportunity to play in an NRL competition – on the game’s biggest stage.”
When the NRL originally announced the competition in early December last year, it was slated to be a six-team competition, however, the NRL have gone down the smaller four-team path.
At the time of the original announcement, Greenberg said the competition would start small and ensure quality was there before expanding, meaning the Sharks could be waiting years for a team, pending on which route the NRL decides to take.
“We are not going to rush in with a larger competition until we have the numbers to give it the quality it deserves,” he said.
“But I have no doubt that, as more women take up the game, the competition will grow.”
The Sharks have been supposedly overlooked due to a geographical spread of the teams, but leaving either the Dragons or Sharks out of the competition smacks of crazy.
The two clubs were the first to have women signed on full-time contracts and have regularly competed in nines matches before their men’s matches over the last three years. The Sharks made the first move in contracting Ruan Sims.
The Sharks are also currently undefeated and leading the under-18s Tarsha Gale Cup. CEO Barry Russell said he was disappointed by the decision.
“I’m extremely disappointed and dumbfounded by the decision,” said Russell in a statement released by the club.
“We have sound experience and in-depth knowledge of women’s rugby league after launching the Cronulla Sharks Women’s Series team and hosting the Women’s Rugby League World Cup in 2017.
“The focus our club has given to the women’s pathway, from the Tarsha Gale team, to the introduction of League Touch and the commitment to offer the same opportunities to women as we do men, which all make this decision difficult to comprehend.”
The Roosters became the first club last weekend to host a Tarsha Gale Cup game as the curtain raiser to an NRL game.
Including the Broncos ensures there is a Queensland presence in the competition, while including the Warriors also seemed like a no-brainer in the fight to expand rugby league among women across the Tasman.
A national women’s premiership has also been announced, with teams from around the country set to compete over a three-day window on the first weekend in June, while the women’s State of Origin has also been confirmed for Friday June 22.
The women’s premiership is likely to begin in early September.
Oto shark
Guest
Not good if she's gone ,but hope not.
Johnno
Guest
I know and now Ruan Sims will be lost to the game and clubless
Oto shark
Guest
Low blow NRL, the sharks put so much effort into their women's game. They've also assembled a very good team.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
You are really getting desperate Clip. The facts are there has been some crap weather this year,some dumb scheduling, and crowds are well up. You'd be the first to brag about them being down, it's in your DNA. We've had a Cat 1 cyclone at Cronulla a few years ago ,when 4,000 people braved the Storm.That affected crowds also. The point is we are dealing with 2018,and you made a dopey comment the weather here has been great.You got it wrong. Now we understand you despise rl so much,you feel the need to desperately search for negatives ,and most of the time end up on your backside. If you wish to look for negatives ,I suggest you read a story by Susie O'Brien in the Herald Sun 26 th March under the headfing'"Junior clubs are struggling and the AFL must help." Meantime it's about the women's rl comp,either offer something constructive or go back to the flag wavers. You see mate whilst the rl has its problems at grassroots, it is evident your mob is feeling the pinch also. Perhaps you could spend so much of your idle time, helping make constructive comments. to assist.
Justin Kearney
Guest
I really could not care less about weather patterns. I really do care about the topic at hand which is women’s footy. The NRL has been far too timid with this comp. ideally it should have a Melbourne team and a western Sydney team. I hope they rectify that in the next two seasons.
clipper
Guest
If you think the weather is around the same as last year, have a look at this http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/month/nsw/archive/201703.sydney.shtml every Sydney area was high, very high or highest ever for rainfall. But, hey, that's just the facts.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Look Woody, I'm certainly no Rooster's fan, but they do have a team in the women's Tarsha Gale cup.
Justin Kearney
Guest
Hook line and sinker clipper old fanboy. Fox ratings for 8 NRL games totalled 1.8 million. 9 AFL games rated 1.5 million. They are facts clip old son. Facts you don’t like at all. As for FTA you conveniently ignore the regionals as usual. Fake news? You excel fan boy!
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Really Clip,one thing for sure you wouldn't do the ch10 weather boy out of a job. And you really don't do much research ,when you try to bag rugby league. Let me remind you last weekend,double header at ANZ,rain pelted down crowd ended up being 25,000.Let me further remind you Roosters v Knights,what happened rain pelted down in bucketloads. Local derby St George v Sharks played on aThursday night ,which meant a much smaller crowd. Dragons V Broncos played on a Thursday night at Jubilee.. Oh and I forgot, I seem to remember 39 -40 degrees heat in Penrith and Manly for their games, really good for attendances out in the open with families. You must have been in your A/c pub at the time,switching TV sets off the NRL. NB Storm membership now 22,500(as at 23/3) after 20 years, no former club to assist with these numbers. Your Sydney mob after 20 years in 2003 ,21270,involving no doubt members from the former club ,which I understand number about 12,000. Yes your numbers are well up since, and Storm numbers have not finished for 2018. So it's all good Clip ,have a happy Easter and remember check the weather gauge. Yep our Clip really keeping up with the news.
clipper
Guest
That's called false news, Justin. Some of the NRL games out rated the AFL, not 8. Sat had NRL at 1, 2, 6 and 12, the AFL at 5, 8 and 10 . Sun had NRL at 2, 6 and 7 and AFL at 3, 4 and 11, but Thursday AFL was 1, NRL was 2. No way is that 8 NRL games 'well and truly' outrated AFL. FTA does have AFL well and truly outrating NRL - 5th to 16th on Thursday, 5th to 12th Friday - no wonder the heading on TV tonight was ÁFL helps Seven snatch win.
Justin Kearney
Guest
Good old clip the afl fanboy. Always jumps in with negatives about league when there is positive news. On other fora as well. Oh and yes the ratings are holding up very very well for the nrl. 8 nrl games well and truly outrated afl on Fox last weekend.
clipper
Guest
The weather has been fantastic compared to this time last year - you always note when the weather is bad as an excuse for bad crowds, it does go the other way - will have to see the average at the end of the year, too early yet. FTA figures definitely aren't up on last year.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Sydney attendances already well up this year Clip.Allowing for a game in Toowoomba. Memberships at record levels. Anycase as usual you jumping the gun and fell right in,as you obviously ignored my sarcasm re the response on saturation.Else I would the be the last person to want an NRL team in Perth,which is not the case.And I eventually want a team in Adelaide.I am more than happy with 9 teams in Sydney. Don't worry an NRL team will happen in Perth,as result of a decent number of locals and business people wanting it,and not a team parachuted in without a by your leave. The beauty of it is ,there are so many areas throughout this country/NZ and PNG that want an NRL team.it's so nice to be wanted hey Clip. Yes would have liked the Sharks to have a women's team,But at least the comp will have quality wit 4 teams, and a national spread.I would suggest when that comp expands the Sharks will be at the head of the queue. Its good to have a team from NZ,because the game does have a reasonable presence there. There is in fact a Rooster's female team in heh Tarsha Gale cup,Thus they have had experience, business backing.
Birdy
Guest
Woody, It really sounds like your describing the EU.
Woody
Guest
I feel for the Sharkies and the Bunnies. The Roosters had.... No womens team No female juniors No investment in the game Just a greedy corrupt benefactor who splashes money around to anyone wjo can be bought for 20 pieces of silver. Interesting case for ICAC to look at how state grants to promote womens sport is spent.
Birdy
Guest
So why no western Sydney club? Surely 2 clubs from the west could merge for a stronger women's club.
clipper
Guest
Yes, Sydney, like other capitals is a growing population, but NRL attendance isn't growing. Perth is hardly a saturated AFL market when the old stadium was so full every week that there was justification to build a newer, bigger stadium. We will have to see what the average there is this year, but you would have to assume it would be growing. Very strange decision to have the Roosters over Cronulla for the women's team considering it is NRL heartland out there with a large junior catchment compared to the eastern suburbs which is the opposite.
Justin Kearney
Guest
No. They are contact league players playing in club competitions. Victoria has well over 20000 touch players. Check the touch annual report for those.
David
Guest
Do these figures include touch football?
Johnno
Guest
Ruan Sims will be lost to the game now she is clubless as she is a Sharkie..