Westpac NSW Blues coach Brad Fittler and Harvey Norman NSW Sky Blues coach Kylie Hilder have urged everyone to sign up with their local Rugby League club and enjoy being part of the greatest game of all.
Registrations for the 2023 season open today (1 December).
“I can honestly say from many years of being involved at different levels of the game that Rugby League offers you so much,” Fittler said.
“Once you get on board your life will change in so many positive ways. You learn teamwork, goal-setting, self-improvement and you have so much fun and create lifelong friendships along the way.
“I encourage everyone to become part of the Rugby League community and find the competition and the club that best suits you.”
It’s hoped the 2023 season will again have registrations topping the 100,000 mark for the fourth year in a row.
In 2022 almost 106,000 people registered to play Rugby League, including a record 23,109 female participants, building on the success of 2021 where female numbers surpassed 20,000 for the first time.
“It makes you wonder how far we can grow the female game; that gets me really excited,” said Hilder, who is also NSWRL Female Pathways Manager.
“We invest in young lives and being involved with a Rugby League club, their coaches, teammates and volunteers, will become a positive experience in so many ways.
“I can’t urge everyone enough – male and female – to register for an experience they will always remember.”
The NSWRL offers a number of competitions to achieve inclusivity for all players - from the traditional form of tackle, to non-tackle options in Blues Tag, and Try League for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities.
There is also well-established Wheelchair and Physical Disability Rugby League competitions.
NSWRL’s Community Football Manager Peter Clarke said the continued success of the game comes from providing positive experience for everyone involved to attract and retain more families.
“At our Community Rugby League Conference in November we heard more about stories of success from community volunteers across metro and regional NSW grassroots Rugby League,” Clarke said.
“Each volunteer and their club or association had unique ways of working, but the common factor in their success was that they are thriving on a promoting positive and inclusive culture, fostering a family environment, and encouraging strong connection from juniors to seniors.”
In 2023 the NSWRL continues the implementation of the National Player Development Framework, which includes a suite of initiatives aimed at attracting and retaining more families to the game.
Click here to sign up for the 2023 season.
