Women in Sport Leadership Program /

The NSWRL is offering fully-funded scholarship opportunities to NSW-based sporting organisations to participate in a proven professional development program, Women in Sport Leadership, which is aimed at upskilling women in coaching, administration and management roles. 

This innovative professional development program, now in its fifth year, is delivered in conjunction with UNE Partnerships, the registered training organisation of the University of New England (UNE). It has had a very high completion rate of almost 95 per cent with a total of 63 participants graduating since 2021. 

Developed in consultation with senior players and coaches and NSWRL executive staff, the program recognises the barriers which women face in achieving leadership roles across elite sports and offers an innovative training initiative to support the career development of these women. 

After running a pilot program in 2021, NSWRL offered select NSW sporting organisations the opportunity to participate at no cost on 2022, because the program received NSW Government funding with a Her Sport Her Way grant. 

In subsequent years, and again this year, despite not receiving any government funding, NSWRL continues to offer NSW-based sporting organisations a fully-finded scholarship, valued at $2500, because it believes so strongly in the program which has been backed up by overwhelming positive feedback from participants and CEOs. 

Enrolment is capped at 20 participants, with 20 places for NSWRL participants and 10 to other sports. The 2025 program will be run on-line over 20 weeks from 1 September 2025 to 9 December 2025, and includes four two-day face-to-face workshops at the NSWRL's Centre of Excellence at Sydney Olympic Park. 

Participants will complete two Diploma and Certificate-level modules, BSBPEF502 Develop emotional intelligence, and BSBXCM401 Apply communication strategies in the workplace. These units will give them credit towards entry to a Diploma or Certificate IV in Leadership and Managements should they wish to pursue further studies. 

To qualify: 

• The participant is employed in a role in middle management or above, or as a coach in pathways/elite program by a NSW State Sporting Organisation or NSW-based National Sporting Organisation. 
• Participation and attendance to workshops is supported by the participant's CEP/Manager. 
• Participant is committed to attend the four two-day face-to-face workshops*.
• Participant is committed to complete the program and course assessments and tasks. 

*Compulsory 2025 workshops 

The four two-day face-to-face workshops, held at the NSWRL Centre of Excellence, at Sydney Olympic Park, form an important part of the learning process and as such, the workshops are compulsory. Understandably illness and other emergencies happen preventing attendance. A Medical Certificate or other form of certification will be required for absences. Participants who know of work commitments on these days may apply for consideration in advance. 

Workshop 1: Monday 15 September - Tuesday 16 September

Workshop 2: Monday 13 October - Tuesday 14 October 

Workshop 3: Monday 10 November - Tuesday 11 November 

Workshop 4: Monday 8 December - Tuesday 9 December 

To register:

To express interestr in a 2025 Women in Sport Leadership Scholarship please email NSWRL Head of Communication and Community Engagement Tracie Edmondson with the following information:

Participant Information:

• Name:
• Organisation:
• Job Title:
• Email:
• Phone: 

Email Tracie at tedmondson@nswrl.com.au

If you would like to discuss this opportunity further, please call Tracie on 0416 258 342.