Designed for Her: Unlocking Performance Through Female-Specific Training
As the current Play Her Way training block nears its final weeks, the dedication, progress, and resilience of our young athletes has been outstanding. Each session has built upon the last, with players showing not only technical growth but also a maturing commitment to their own development and to the women’s game more broadly.
This term, we’ve worked closely with girls aged 12-13—a key stage in their athletic journey. At this age, a tailored approach to coaching becomes critical. As bodies change and athletic capacity increases, the need for programming that aligns with female physiological development is essential. Our coaching recognises and respects these differences, particularly in areas like upper-body strength, joint stability, and muscle recruitment patterns.
Erin Geddes, Play Her Way Program Lead''We can’t train female athletes like males and expect the best results. Coaching must reflect the unique physiological and biomechanical needs of women—addressing strength, joint stability, injury risk, and hormonal factors—to boost performance, reduce injuries, and support long-term athletic development.''
One of the key technical focuses this block has been tackling technique. We’ve prioritised safe contact and body positioning to reduce risk of injury while building the confidence to execute dominant tackles. Our approach encourages efficient body mechanics, leveraging core and lower body strength, rather than relying on upper body force alone—an important distinction in coaching female players.
Play Her Way participant“The tackle sessions made a big difference for me. Learning techniques made for girls helped me feel more confident and safe. I understand how to use my body better now, and I feel stronger every time I train.”
We’ve also emphasised the development of fundamental movement patterns like squatting, hinging, pushing, pulling, and jumping. These foundations not only support performance on the field but will underpin a transition into gym-based strength training in future phases of the program.
Training like this empowers our players not just to keep up—but to lead the way. They are setting a new standard for what the future of women’s rugby league can and should look like.
Expressions of interest for our next squad intake is now open for females aged 14 & 15 (born 2010 & 2011) Register your interest here.
