Play Her Way: Celebrating a Successful Inaugural Year
Souths Cares’ Play Her Way program has had an incredible first year, empowering young female athletes across South Eastern Sydney and the Inner City to develop their rugby league skills, confidence, and love of the game. Since its launch, the program has provided a tailored pathway for girls, from grassroots participation to representative opportunities, marking a major milestone in increasing female participation in sport.
The program launched with the primary goal of increasing female participation in sport, giving young girls the opportunity to engage with rugby league in a supportive and inclusive environment. Through female-specific coaching, safe skill-building, and structured pathways, the program has helped girls develop their confidence, technical abilities, and physical fitness, enabling them to thrive both on and off the field. Across four cohorts in its first year, a total of 69 girls completed the program, including the latest cohort focused on enhanced physical performance, demonstrating the program’s strong engagement and impact.
One of the standout successes of the first year is that five Play Her Way athletes—Erin Reynolds, Jade Johnston, Jasmine Ballard, Olivia Maui, and Tess Doyle—earned selection in the Under-17 Lisa Fiaola Cup squad. This achievement highlights the program’s ability to open doors to elite competition, showing that with the right support, these young athletes can reach new heights in rugby league.
Play Her Way Program Lead, Erin Geddes"Year 1 of Play Her Way has been an incredible journey. Watching these girls grow, develop their skills, and achieve representative opportunities has been truly inspiring. The progress, confidence, and passion they’ve shown highlights exactly why this program exists. We’re excited to build on this momentum in Year 2, reaching even more young players and creating new opportunities for them to thrive."
Looking ahead, Year 2 of Play Her Way has exciting plans in place:
- Girls-only safe tackle technique clinics to build confidence and skills
- More specific age group offerings, targeting younger players in U11 and U13 categories
Play Her Way would not have been possible without the support of the Australian Government, whose funding through initiatives like the Play Our Way program ensures that programs like this can increase female participation in sport and create lasting opportunities for girls. Their support has been instrumental in helping Souths Cares deliver coaching, equipment, and development programs to young female athletes.
From grassroots beginnings to representative recognition, Play Her Way is proving that when girls are given the opportunity, support, and pathways, they can achieve extraordinary things.
