Mounties Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership coach Darrin Borthwick will be the new Canberra Raiders mentor for the 2023 NRLW season.
The Raiders are one of four new clubs to join the NRLW when it expands it to 10 teams next year. The other three are North Queensland Cowboys, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and Wests Tigers.
“I have had an association with Canberra for a while with the feeder club at Mounties, so I know the place really well anyway,” Borthwick told raiders.com.au.
“It’s good to be back and just feels right.
“I’m super excited to get in there and get to work.”
Borthwick arrives with plenty of experience in the women’s game having been the assistant coach of the Parramatta Eels’ NRLW team for the past two seasons as well holding the clipboard at Mounties.
He was the high performance director at Mounties, when the club claimed the Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership in 2018.
Borthwick has been involved with the NRLW since it began in 2018. The first two years were with the Sydney Roosters (2018-19) and then a year with the New Zealand Warriors in 2020 before he joined the Eels.
“I’m really excited about getting out to the regional areas and finding the next big talent,” he said.
“We are in a position where we will have to recruit from outside, but I guess if I’m using players outside of the Raiders in the women’s space, I’m looking for the next Isabelle Kelly or Jess Sergis.
“I’m excited about that because you just don’t know what’s out there. I’ve got to work hard to get out to those areas and these players have got a pathway now.
“That’s the exciting part for me, getting out there and looking for the next big thing that will pull on a Raiders jersey.”
