Watching the Matildas play in last year’s World Cup was an incredible time for women in sport. Seeing the entire country get behind these talented women in green and gold was so inspiring. You couldn’t escape it. Fans young and old, male and female, got behind the team and tickets became prized possessions.
What seemed like the entire nation followed everything from the history-making penalty shootout against France to the daily news bulletins leading with updates on Sam Kerr’s calf injury. As a sportsperson, it was an incredible thing to witness.
I love rugby league but there is a lot the sport can learn from the Matildas experience. And as we enter the final days of preparation before the first ever three-game Women’s State of Origin series begins, I would love the stadiums filled with the same passion and support seen during the Fifa tournament.
I’m looking down the barrel of my 16th year of women’s Origin. Rugby league is tough and fierce, and it’s shaped who I am as a person. I have had a love of sport for as long as I can remember – and I was brought up with the belief that my gender did not define me. It was hard work and perseverance that would set me apart.
I grew up in Ipswich, where rugby league is like a religion for many. The entire community is connected by the game – we played it, we talked about it, we lived it and loved it. Rugby league gave me so many things in my childhood and beyond – friends, resilience, connection and passion.
I remember my pride at being selected for representative teams; I felt like I had struck the jackpot. I was always taught that you could silence the biggest critics by how you performed on the field. I have lived by that ethos for a long time.
My rugby league dream came to an abrupt end at age 12. Back then, there were no pathways for girls to play beyond their teenage years – I was told I needed to give up the game as it wasn’t “appropriate for a girl to play against the boys”. It was shattering.
I did stop playing for a few years but I could never forget the words of my dad – to keep working hard and not to give up hope.
It was that formidable work ethic that eventually brought me back to the game. New pathways opened up, girls finally got their time on the field and I got to return to the game I loved. This opportunity gave me even more of an appreciation for the game, one that has seen me play for decades. Even after many years, I still feel like I am at the top of my game. I hope to continue to play for many more.
This year the Women’s State of Origin series will be played over three games. The move brings the women on par with the men, with the opening match to be played on Thursday at a major stadium – Suncorp Stadium, my home ground. On the eve of Magic Round, we will take to the field in what I think is a major step forward for women’s rugby league.
Yet as the women’s game steps into a new era in 2024, my teammates and I are still thinking about filling that stadium. This is not something my male counterparts need to consider. No professional sports person wants to play to empty seats.
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The pathways are now there for women in the game – we have the NRLW, there is growing participation for girls at a junior level, and now a three-game State of Origin series. So how do we grow the game for women at an elite level?
We need the fans. We need supporters to fill seats at Suncorp, and then again in Newcastle and then again for the final game in Townsville. We need fans at home to tune in and watch. We need people to get behind the players, to recognise the hours we invest at training, on the field and in the gym.
What I witnessed with the Matildas was a tidal wave of support. I know football is an international game, but I also know Australia loves rugby league; the passion for the game is there, the quality never higher, and matches never more entertaining.
We’re not women playing rugby league; we are rugby league players set to contest a State of Origin series. I want the path that will be walked by my 12-year old daughter – should she choose to play rugby league – to be a lot different to the one I walked. And I want to be part of the group of players that changed the game for the future of all players.