WOMEN & GIRLS RUGBY LEAGUE ADVISORY GROUP

The Women and Girls Advisory Group (WGAG) have been mandated by International Rugby League (IRL) to advise on women and girls rugby league.

The WGAG consists of an independent Chair, secretary and 8 nominated representatives from regions identified to internationally represent the female game. The WGAG purpose and objectives are to;   

• Review and make recommendations to the International Rugby League Board concerning key matters relating to women and girls’ rugby league, including participatory growth, on- and off-field development and international tournaments, tours and matches.
• Identify strategic objectives germane to members administering female rugby league programmes to recognise commonality and, where possible, promote those objectives globally.
• Increase the number of women and girls participants in rugby league at all levels.
• Increase the number of women leaders in rugby league and create a pipeline to promote women leaders in perpetuity.
• Seek to make rugby league as relevant to women and girls as it has been to men and boys.

VISION:  Any female, any age, anywhere can participate in rugby league

The group has set out high-level outcomes identified in 6 key areas with specific measurements to support the following work areas;

1. International playing opportunities
   Advising the IRL Board on all international playing opportunities and ensuring they are available for women to participate in an 8-year international playing calendar
2. Stronger domestic competitions
   Delivering a strategic plan to ensure all IRL full members have international elite female competition framework for implementation
   
3. National pathways for female players
   Developing an international framework to identify a clear pathway for females of all ages in every playing nation
   
4. Female coaches’ recruitment and development
   Developing the international framework for best practice for coaching female athletes and framework for the identification, recruitment and development of female coaches
   
5. Decision making and leadership roles
   Implementing a strategy for identification, recruitment and development of women in decision making roles and implementing a Women in Rugby League mentor programme
   
6. Increase the profile of the women’s game
   Supporting and promoting the female game attracting new fans and commercial opportunities

WGAG Members 

Julia Lee (Chair)
Stuart Barrow (RFL) 
Fiona Cernboneschi (ARLC) 
Nadene Conlon (NZRL) 
Joanna Lester (Secretary) 
Peggy Matapo (APRL) 
Sara Piper (IRL)
Rebecca Stevens (MEA)
Jovan Vujosevic (ERL)