Katrina Fanning appointed Australian Universities women’s ambassador    

IRL Women's and Girl’s Advisory Group Chair Katrina Fanning AO PSM has accepted the position of Australian Universities Rugby League Women's Ambassador in a major boost for the organisation.  

Fanning, a member of the inaugural Jillaroos team, was one of six female pioneers inducted into the NRL Hall of Fame in 2024, along with Karyn Murphy, Tahnee Norris, Tarsha Gale, Veronica White and Natalie Dwyer. 

Apart from playing 26 tests for Australia in a career spanning 14 years, Fanning is a former chairperson of the Australian Rugby League Indigenous Council and has been a board member at the Canberra Raiders since 2019.

She was appointed Chair of the International Rugby League Women's and Girl’s Advisory Group last year and travelled to Canada for the inaugural IRL Women's World Series, in which Fiji claimed the final berth for IRL Rugby League World Cup 2026.

The major women's tackle competition in Canberra, the Katrina Fanning Shield, is named in her honour. 
 
Fanning said: “It is a privilege any time you get the opportunity to help grow the game. 
 
“I think the university sports space, both in Australia and internationally, is an untapped opportunity and the Australian Universities Rugby League (AURL) has already got some great runs on the board there. So just to be involved in places that grow the game is a values alignment for me.  
 
“In my years of playing I was lucky enough to be in the public service and get the flexibility to build a career both playing sport and off the field. I’ve seen many people who have had to sacrifice so much to play sport.

"So anything that creates an opportunity for our athletes to chase their goals on the field but also build pathways off the field is incredibly important. It makes them better players, better people and better ambassadors for our game.” 
 
Australian Universities Rugby League Chair Tas Baitieri OAM expressed his delight at having Fanning represent the organisation after the successful introduction of a women's program in 2025. 
 
“Katrina’s impressive record both on and off the field speaks for itself and we are extremely pleased to have her join us," Baiteri said.
 
“We have some exciting activities for both the women’s and men’s programs this year with announcements to be made in the near future. I would like to officially welcome Katrina to our organisation.”