Like all of our Members, staff and players, I was extremely disappointed when told our application to join the inaugural NRL Women’s competition had been unsuccessful.
The application process had started in December, and our staff at the Rabbitohs had worked hard over the last three months to produce the strongest possible application and presentation to the NRL. We believe our application was very strong in every area of the stated criteria, we have a great player pathway already in place and we wanted to create a women’s program that was truly “The Rabbitoh Way”.
On any measure or aspect of the criteria - be it financial capacity, club governance, player development and pathway links or business development - our application was very strong.
We have now requested the objective written justification and criteria measurement from the NRL.
We have also sought confirmation from the NRL as to the protection we will have that players developed by the Rabbitohs will be made available for any future Rabbitohs NSWRL Premiership and NRL Women’s team. Until we receive a response to these queries, we will not be making any further public comments.
However, I believe one of the strongest aspects of our application was the strength and passion of our Members, and how this passion would immediately translate to huge support for our women’s team.
It was great to see so many of you, approximately 15,000 according to the turnstile count, at ANZ Stadium for the Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership match against Canterbury on Good Friday, and it sent a strong message to the NRL that our Members are absolutely committed to our women’s team.
We want to keep sending this message to the NRL, and the best way to do this is by becoming Women’s League Members and continuing to attend matches throughout the 2018 Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership season.
The way in which our team bounced back from the adversity of last Tuesday’s announcement to play so well on Friday was remarkable, and it would be wonderful to have as many of you as Women’s League Members and attending matches as this fantastic team strives for glory in the Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership.
