News

The world of Rugby League is one community

Published by IRL
20 Sep 2021

Tanya Dordevic is a long-time athlete but relatively new to rugby league. She lives in the rugby league “hotbed” of Alberta, Canada but is the personification of what women’s rugby league is achieving. After a five-year retirement from competitive sport, Tanya was enticed back to play for the Canada Ravens on their 2019 tour to Serbia and – you’ve guessed it – she loved it so much she is looking at playing in the Rugby League World Cup. She takes up the story:

“I first came across rugby league in around 2005 and thought it looked a fun game, but it took me until 2019 to get involved as a player. I was invited to try out for the Canada team to visit Serbia and I was intrigued by the opportunity. Intrigued enough to play all but 10 minutes of the tour and have the most amazing experience. I became ingrained in the rugby league community and came home to be asked to join the board of the Alberta Rugby League – and that how this whole crazy ride came about.”

“I had retired from playing competitive rugby several times and now I am hoping to be selected to play in the Rugby League World Cup. The delay is not good for me as an older athlete but it’s not about me and there is now an opportunity to get in more domestic and international games and preparation before we start the tournament.”

Women’s sport has been on a meteoric upwards curve for a few years now and, in particular across North America. The success of the women’s soccer has been phenomenal and rugby league can enjoy similar success. Already the early signs in the USA are encouraging with athletes taking to the sport. In Canada there were over 90 athletes who attended the ID camps across the country and that will just keep growing. Tanya picks up the tale, “given the interest amongst the women in the USA and the attendance at the various talent identification camps in Canada, we have an international game planned between the Ravens and USA. I suspect it will be early in the new year due to COVID restrictions but its a really positive step. We also have domestic competitions with significant women’s involvement, so I am keen to see the impact that has on the player pool.”

Outdoor sport in general has some challenges in parts of Canada such as Alberta, simply due to the climate limiting playing to around 5 months per year. That means that quite often athletes have to choose between sports. In other areas, seasons can be split, and athletes can participate more widely. Regardless, Tanya is ready to take the challenge as she explained, “I think the fast-paced nature of the game is bound to start drawing athletes from other sports, rugby league just needs the right platform and media here. The injection of other professional rugby leagues and teams into North America is helping bring some visibility to the sport and starting to draw large fanbases. I think for a long time, RL has lived in the shadows of Rugby Union here in Canada, but the more people that try the game, the more it grows.

“In Canada, we are definitely trending in the right direction, and should have a solid high-performance pathway within the next couple years. The Asia Pacific nations are certainly going to be tough to compete with, this game is in their blood, but I think Canada will only become more and more competitive as the game continues to grow here and more opportunities to play at a higher level are presented to the athletes.”

Concluding her thoughts on the impact of rugby league on her life and on the life of others Tanya summed up her experience saying “The world of RL is one of community, which is truly evident through the fans and supporters. It is a welcoming and inclusive community, and the people that play and watch have a real passion for it.”

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