Players, parents, clubs and supporters across Western NSW are calling on NSW Rugby League to reverse its position to discontinue the Western Women’s Rugby League (WWRL) Spring Competition from 2027.
The competition provides dedicated rugby league for girls and women from Under 12s through to Women’s Opens and brings together players from communities across Western NSW, including Canowindra, Bathurst, Orange, Mudgee, Forbes, Parkes, Coonabarabran and surrounding areas.
Campaign supporters say the issue is not simply the loss of another sporting competition. For some regional players, it could mean losing their opportunity to play rugby league altogether.
“You cannot grow the women’s game by taking opportunities away from women and girls.”
The WWRL provides an established regional competition for communities where individual towns do not always have enough players to sustain teams across every female age group.
While female participation in local winter competitions is growing, supporters say there is currently no viable alternative that provides equivalent opportunities across the region and across all age groups.
NSW Rugby League’s Women in League Strategy identifies expanding participation opportunities for women and girls as a priority. Supporters of the WWRL say discontinuing an established regional competition from 2027 is difficult to reconcile with that objective, particularly while equivalent opportunities are not currently available across the region.
“If there was already a strong alternative available to every one of these girls, this would be a very different conversation. There isn’t.”
“Some players will be able to find another team or another competition. Others won’t.
In regional communities, distance, player numbers and available age groups matter.”
The campaign supports continued investment in local winter competitions but rejects the idea that an established spring competition needs to disappear in order for those competitions to grow.
“We want more opportunities for girls to play rugby league, not fewer. Build the winter competitions, strengthen local pathways and protect the competition that is already giving girls a dedicated place to play.”
Parents have also highlighted the importance of the dedicated girls’ environment created by the competition.
For younger players and girls entering rugby league for the first time, the WWRL can provide a supportive pathway into the sport and give them the confidence to later participate in other competitions.
“For many girls, this competition is where they first find their confidence. They find a team, they find their place in the game and they start believing they belong there.”
Supporters are calling for NSW Rugby League to reconsider the decision and work directly with clubs, players and communities on a model that protects participation while continuing to grow women’s rugby league across Western NSW.
“Regional girls should not have to lose an established competition now in the hope that something equivalent might exist later.”
The Save the Western Women’s Rugby League Competition campaign has been established to give players, families and communities a voice and to demonstrate the level of support for retaining the competition. A public petition has also been launched.
“This is bigger than one season or one club. It is about whether girls growing up in regional NSW have genuine opportunities to play the game.”
You can sign the petition at: https://petitions.getup.org.au/p/SaveWWRL