Ten female Rugby League coaches will join women from nine other sports in the NSWRL Women In Sport Leadership (WISL) program, with the cohort set to take the first step in the organisation’s new pathway to develop more female coaches across the game.
The Rugby League cohort will complete the WISL program as the first stage of NSWRL’s inaugural Female Coach Mentor Program, before progressing into more Rugby League specific coaching education and development.
The initiative forms part of NSWRL’s new Women and Girls Strategy, which has set a target of having 75 per cent of female pathway teams coached by a female head coach and assistant coach by 2029.
“We want to make sure the women coming through our coaching pathway are given every opportunity to succeed, and that starts with building their leadership foundations,” NSWRL Chief Executive David Trodden said.
“The Women In Sport Leadership program gives participants the opportunity to develop their confidence and leadership alongside women from across the sporting industry.”
Now in its sixth year, the WISL program brings together women from across the sporting industry to develop skills required to progress as leaders, coaches, administrators and managers.
The program boasts 76 graduates since its inception and has achieved above 90 per cent completion rate.
Delivered in conjunction with the University of New England (UNE), participants develop skills across areas including emotional intelligence, communication, leadership and professional confidence.
The 20-week program includes four two-day face-to-face workshops, featuring leading women from across the sporting industry – Ruan Sims (Westpac NSW Blues Women’s Assistant Coach), Bec Rippon (Australian Women’s Water Polo Coach), and Carolyn Campbell (NSWRL Chair) – as keynote speakers.
Participants also have access to further study opportunities and the WISL alumni network to maintain connections with fellow graduates and sporting leaders beyond the program.
The 2026 WISL cohort will bring together women in a diverse range of roles from Diving NSW, Football NSW, Gymnastics NSW, Softball NSW, Basketball NSW, Water Polo NSW, Gridiron NSW, Athletics NSW, and Surf Life Saving NSW.
“The Women In Sport Leadership program provides a unique opportunity for learning, professional growth, connection and cross-sport collaboration, and the feedback from participants and their CEOs continues to show that it makes a real difference,” Trodden said.
“NSWRL is genuinely committed to supporting the advancement of women in the sporting landscape, not just within our own Rugby League community, but across all sports.”
NSWRL is grateful to the NSW Government for its support through an Investing in Women Grant to run the Female Coach Mentor Program, an important initiative in the NSWRL Women and Girls Strategy.
True Blue Vanessa Foliaki, Kiana Takairangi (the sister of former NRL player Brad Takairangi), Alysha Bell (Parramatta Eels female pathways manager), and Courtney Crawford (NSW Under 19s coach) will undertake the Women in Sports Leadership program, joining Westpac NSW Blue Women’s assistant coaches Alicia-Kate Hawke and Melissa Spero among the participants in the inaugural Female Coach Mentor Program.
