Celebrating Female Pathways this Women in League Round
This Friday night at Accor Stadium, the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Souths Cares will proudly shine a spotlight on the Club’s growing female pathways, celebrating the achievements of young women forging their way in Rugby League. The on-field recognition will take place before the Rabbitohs clash with the Brisbane Broncos.
The celebration will honour the Club’s key female squads, including the open-age Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership team, the under 19s Tarsha Gale Cup squad, the under 17s Lisa Fiaola Cup squad, and the first and second cohorts of participants in Souths Cares’ ground-breaking female development program, Play Her Way.
Play Her Way is Souths Cares’ innovative, female-only Rugby League development initiative, designed to provide young girls with their first structured taste of the game across both tackle and non-tackle formats. More than just a skills program, Play Her Way is helping remove financial barriers by covering registration, insurance, and equipment costs—thanks to support from the Australian Government’s $200 million Play Our Way grants program.
Alisha Parker El-Rez“Play Her Way is about more than just footy—it’s about building confidence, connection and creating a clear pathway for young girls to thrive in sport and in life. We’re proud to be shaping a future where every young girl and woman in our community can see a place for herself in Rugby League.”
In Term One of 2025, the inaugural ten-week program welcomed 17 girls aged 9–11, equipping them with foundational skills and knowledge of the game. Currently, the second cohort—comprising 20 girls aged 12–13—is building on that momentum, with a curriculum covering fitness, speed, nutrition, sleep, mental preparation, teamwork, and safe tackling techniques.
Future programs will include girls aged 14–15 in Term Three and 16–17-year-olds in Term Four, further expanding the development pathway for female athletes in the South Sydney region.
Although the Rabbitohs do not currently field an NRLW team, the Club remains deeply committed to building sustainable female pathways across Rugby League, League Tag, and Touch Football. These initiatives are part of a broader vision to ensure all young women in the South Sydney district have the opportunity to participate, develop, and thrive in the game.
To mark the occasion, all female squads and Play Her Way participants will be presented on field prior to kick-off. The second cohort of the Play Her Way program will form the first-half guard of honour, while the first cohort will accompany the Rabbitohs players as they run onto the field for the much-anticipated clash against the Broncos.
Adding to the celebrations, inaugural Play Her Way coach Caitlin Stringer has been named the South Sydney Rabbitohs’ 2025 Women in League Ambassador—recognising her leadership and impact in fostering the next generation of future Rabbitohs players. The Club will also honour its expanding female pathways, including the elite open-age Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership team, the under-19s Tarsha Gale Cup squad, and the under-17s Lisa Fiaola Cup squad.
It’s set to be a night of celebration—not only for the game—but for the bright future of women in Rugby League!
