Cover Photo: Game Face Photography/Group 7 Facebook
Tallon Smith
Women’s footy on the South Coast is set to take a major stride forward in 2026 after Group 7 Rugby League announced the formation of a new Women’s Nines premiership competition.
Beginning in May and scheduled to take place over 14 weeks, the competition will feature eight sides from across the region, stretching from Warilla in the north to Ulladulla in the south.
South Coast Group 7 Rugby League operations manager Ashton Sims said that the league’s administrators are looking forward to being able to offer a locally-based tackle competition for the region’s growing female participation base.
“We’re really excited to be able to deliver and facilitate our inaugural Group 7 Women’s Nines competition this year,” he said.
“It will be played over a 12 to 14-week competition with finals as well, and we’re going to kick off on our Mother’s day round, which is on the 9th and 10th of May.
“There’s some really exciting opportunities there for the female participation and pathways, to continue the strength of the female participation in rugby league across the South Coast and give them another opportunity to stay in the game.”
This is not the first attempt at setting up a women’s tackle competition under the Group 7 banner, with a previous 13-a-side premiership kicking off in 2024, but lasting just one year.
Now, after a relatively successful year featuring local clubs playing in a larger, regional league, Sims said that the time is right to re-launch a Group 7 women’s competition, with the nines format chosen to make it easier for clubs numbers-wise.
“We had some Group 7 teams playing in the Southern Corridor competition and in 2024 we had a Group 7 Women’s competition,” he said.
“We just had a look at it, evaluated it, and thought having a nines competition, obviously you only need nine players on the field, and four or five subs, might make it a little bit easier for teams to create sides.
“It’s been a really strong start, just having a look at the online registrations online now from all the clubs who have garnered interest in there, we’ve got eight clubs at the moment, so that’s a fantastic return on what will be the first time we deliver it in our existence.”
As for which teams will line-up in round one of the new competition, Sims said that seven first grade clubs and one Regan Cup side have indicated they will field teams.
“At this current stage, we’ve got the Berry Magpies, Milton-Ulladulla Bulldogs, Mt Warrigal Kooris, Nowra-Bomaderry Jets, Shellharbour Sharks, Stingrays, Warilla Gorillas, and Albion Park-Oak Flats Eagles,” he said.
“We’ve got eight there currently, and we’re working really hard behind the scenes with the clubs in regards to developing their sides, and recruiting and retaining girls for the future.”
Meanwhile, Sims also revealed many of the key dates for the upcoming season, ahead of the release of the draw over the coming weeks.
The competition’s Women in league round will take place over the Mother’s Day weekend, before the annual NAIDOC Round on July 4 and 5, and Mental Health Round on August 29 and 30.
Regan Cup and League Tag Grand Final Day is set down for Sunday, September 20, a week before the First Grade Grand Final Day on Saturday, September 26.
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