10 September 2019

Cowboys launch a women's academy in North Queensland to develop a NRLW team of their own

An Australian rugby league side have launched a women's academy in a bid to have a team in the Women's Premiership. 

The Cowboys already have a men's team in the National Rugby League and the initiative is to discourage aspiring women rugby league players from moving away. 

The women's academy coaches will travel to Cairns, Townsville, and Mackay to deliver six sessions annually. 

The Cowboys released a statement saying: "Players aged over 15 will be identified and invited to participate in the academy delivering skills enhancement, best practice training techniques and facilities, support and guidance, and elite-level coaching."

Cowboys chief operating officer Michael Luck said: “We’ve been proactive in supporting the female grassroots and local league this year in Cairns, Townsville and Mackay with our women’s programme and will continue to progress this next year, along with starting our women’s academy.

"Our intent with the women’s academy is to focus on elite development.

“It will eventually lead to the club entering a NRLW team that is genuinely representative of the Cowboys and the incredible talent and potential of female players in our region.”

Coach Ben Jeffries said: “The Cowboys academy will deliver the core skills of rugby league which will enhance their skill level and understanding of the game to put them in better stead for each level they participate in.

“There are female players who have the potential to play representative football, but they’ve not been able to access the consistent training they need to meet the standards.

“The difficult thing with the North Queensland location is the travel required to attend training and a great aspect of the academy is that we will come to the players to deliver consistent sessions.

“It will give players an edge in between competitions and will give them access to elite pathways.”

The NRLW currently only has four teams in the league. Their season is about to get underway - for just the second time. The league are trialling stand alone games for the women this season as they usually feature as a double header with the men's NRL matches.

If they prove successful the women's league will feature more stand alone games.

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