WOMEN’S rugby league in Europe will take its first tentative step towards professionalism this Sunday when prizemoney is offered for the first time in a competition.
The RFL Women’s Nines finals at Salford’s AJ Bell Stadium involve one French and five British clubs and will crown the first official champions in that region for the abbreviated version of the sport.
Now organisers the Rugby Football League have announced there will be a winner’s purse in a first for the women’s game – 13s or Nines.
“There’s a participation fee for all six teams competing in this weekend’s Nines finals, as is the case in other Women’s Super League competitions,” said the RFL’s head of growth, Thomas Brindle.
“An interesting addition for the Nines tournament, though, is that we are introducing a prize pool that will see the winning team rewarded.
“This has been introduced as we work in line with a long-term roadmap centred around taking the women’s game to the next level and although we’re aware that there’s still a long way to go until we reach the heights we’re aiming for, we feel this is a small but significant step in the right direction in the progression of Women’s rugby league.”
Following five pools, each of four teams, competing at Warrington on May 1, the winners of each – Catalans, Huddersfield, Leeds, St Helens and York – progressed to this weekend’s finals. They are joined by ‘wildcard’ Warrington, also undefeated in pool play.
While the size of the prize pool has not been announced, it is understood to not exceed four figures Sterling, with 40 per cent going to the winners.
