2017 is shaping up to be a thrilling year for women’s Rugby League and the Cronulla Sharks.
The Club’s best female players will be competing in the ground-breaking Women’s Series and NSWRL’s Tarsha Gale Cup competitions – an exciting thought in the advent of International Women’s Day.
The first ever Tarsha Gale Cup is well underway and the Sharks are dominating the competition. Having played only three games, Cronulla has already crossed the line on 28 occasions and accrued an impressive 130 points.
The undefeated Sharks outfit has quickly cemented itself as one of the Cup’s fiercest contenders. Cronulla has so far taken down the Sydney Indigenous side 38-0, South Sydney Rabbitohs 46 - 4 and the Wests Tigers 46-4.
The Sharks are sitting high up on top of the ladder and will head into a Round 5 clash against the Illawarra Steelers this weekend at Southern Cross Group Stadium with confidence.
With six tries under her belt, Captain Tayla Preston is the Sharks’ leading scorer. Preston is closely followed by team mates Kersal Johnson and Olivia Quinn, who have both crashed over on four occasions.
This week, Preston was named in the Cronulla Sharks Women’s Series side that will go head to head with the Canberra Raiders on Saturday. Preston’s selection comes in the wake of an injury to Australian Jillaroo Allana Ferguson, and the youngster will no doubt look to wreak havoc on Canberra’s defence.
It’s an exciting time for Rugby League, with over 482 000 girls and women contributing to the game of touch, tag or tackle. Women in Rugby League are no longer confined to the roles of driving the boys to training or preparing the half time oranges. We live in an era inspired by female players, coaches, administrators, referees, managers, volunteers and fans. There are more than 90 female-only Rugby League competitions across Australia and female participation remains the fastest growing aspect of the game.
The Tarsha Gale Cup is truly ground-breaking, representing Rugby League’s commitment to female participation and opportunities for all. The Cup honours Tarsha Gale, 1990s captain of the Australian and NSW Women’s sides, and her contribution to the game. In an interview with NSWRL, Gale said that the Cup was a tremendous move for women’s sport.
“I see that not only the girls want to participate in these sports, but also the spectators. Plus with the backing from bigger associations that used to only back the men, it’s going to have amazing progress,” said Gale, to NSWRL.com.au.
Tarsha Gale Cup Round 5
Cronulla Sharks v Illawarra Steelers
8:30am Southern Cross Group Stadium
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#BeBoldForChange
