The 2024 Westpac Emerging NSW Girls Academy program has been completed with NSWRL Female Pathways Manager Kylie Hilder declaring the female game is in good hands.
Weekly sessions over a month brought 36 girls aged 16 and 17 from metropolitan Westpac Lisa Fiaola Cup (under 17s) clubs to NSWRL’s Centre of Excellence at Sydney Olympic Park. A regional Emerging Girls Academy program will be held in April 2025 after the completion of the Women’s Country Championships.
Each girl received a NSW players’ kit of shirt, shorts, cap, and sweatshirt.
“The feedback from the girls has been great. They are very thankful of the opportunity,” Hilder said.
“We made it clear to them that we weren’t there to do the tactical and technical side of the game – that’s for their club coaches.
“It was all about the fundamental skills for playing but also the skills for off the field too – nutrition, well-being, recovery, physical and mental fitness, social media and branding.
“It’s not just purely about football.”
The four-week program focused on preparing and educating players to compete at the next levels – Westpac Tarsha Gale Cup (Under 19s), Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership and the NRLW – together with the opportunity to be selected in a NSW representative team.
Speakers covered the NSWRL’s six values – Inheritance, United, Professional, Innovative, Courageous, Legacy - plus tips on how to maximise the physical and mental side of being a high-performance athlete.
On the field there were passing, kicking, and tackling drills with emphasis on the fundamentals of the game.
“It’s the aim of the academy to provide our young NSW female players with a vision of what preparing for high-performance Rugby League looks like,” Hilder said.
“That way they are also being prepared for our NSWRL pathways into the NRLW – the sport’s elite competition.
“The girls were identified through the Australian Schoolgirls championships as potential representative players.
“They are all attached to a Lisa Fiaola club but we want to give them some extra tools so they know what’s needed to be an elite player and what it takes to represent NSW.
“The next step for these girls is playing Lisa Fiaola Cup and then hopefully getting to represent NSW City or NSW Country in Under 17s next May.
“Then we hope they just keep progressing through the age groups and eventually become NRLW players.”
Hilder was assisted by Westpac NSW Blues Women’s Origin team assistant coach Ruan Sims, physiotherapist Michael Baines, sports scientist Cloe Cummins, Australian Schoolgirls coach Patricia Raikadroka, and NSW City U19s coach and Penrith Panthers female pathways coach Karen Stewart.
