New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) is supporting groundbreaking research led by the University of New England (UNE) aimed at improving the understanding of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) health in young female Rugby League players.
Funded by NSWRL, the study will examine how the ACL adapts to the demands of training and competition in adolescent female athletes.
ACL injuries in the NRLW have become a significant concern, with players facing an elevated risk compared to NRL players. True Blue Corban Baxter missed the 2024 season due to a pre-season ACL tear, with data showing that female Rugby League players are three times more likely to suffer an ACL injury compared to males.
The research is being led by UNE Associate Professor Robert Crowther and postdoctoral researcher Dr Ayden McCarthy, with participants drawn from the Carlingford Cougars Junior Rugby League Football Club.
With ACL tears one of the most common serious injuries in female sport – particularly during adolescence – the study aims to provide new insights that could help coaches, physiotherapists and sporting organisations design safer training programs and reduce injury risk.
NSWRL Chief Executive David Trodden said the organisation’s investment highlights its strong commitment to player welfare and the continued development of the women’s game.
“Investing in research that directly supports player welfare is a priority for New South Wales Rugby League,” he said.
“By funding this study, we are supporting high-quality, applied research that will help inform how young female athletes are trained and supported across our pathways, with benefits that extend well beyond Rugby League.”
31 players have volunteered to take part in the research which involves measuring comprehensive physical performance testing battery, lower-body strength and power, alongside training-load monitoring throughout the 2026 Rugby League season.
Dr McCarthy said the project aims to address a significant gap in sports science research.
“Much of the existing research around youth athletes has focused on males, so a key aim of this project is helping close the gap and ensuring female athletes are better supported,” Dr McCarthy said.
“This study is looking at how we can develop a healthy ACL and encourage positive adaptation across the season for youth female athletes.”
Participants will also undergo advanced magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) scans conducted through the University of Sydney’s Sydney Imaging Core Research Facility, allowing researchers to examine ligament structure in unprecedented detail.
“NSWRL has given us a tremendous gift in funding to help support this research,” Dr McCarthy said.
“We have a $5-million, first of its kind MRI, where we are taking pictures that have never been done before, so we can look at the fibres all the way down to the millimetre in detail, and we can see those changes pre to post.
“It’s first-of-its-kind – a groundbreaking study that hasn’t been done before in female youth Rugby League, and we’re hoping that it just doesn’t benefit Rugby League athletes, but all female youth athletes across the world.”
