The sisters of Westpac NSW Blues centre Stephen Crichton and Westpac NSW Sky Blues winger Tiana Penitani will be out to showcase their skills when the opening round of the Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership kicks off tomorrow (Saturday 6 July).
Harmony Crichton and Natasha Penitani feature in the Wests Tigers team to take on the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks at Concord Oval.
The 2024 Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership will provide even more opportunities for female Rugby League players who are seeking to pursue a professional career in the game following the decision to shift the competition to later in the season to align with the NRLW.
“The NSWRL is committed to developing female Rugby League players which remains one of the fastest growth areas of our sport,” NSWRL Head of Competitions Yvette Downey said.
“The elite female players in our game will feature in the NRLW competition in 2024 which will create opportunities now for other players to come in and take their positions in the Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership.
“That exposure to the state’s premier competition for women will further assist the development of our female players, and that will only benefit the game in the long-term.”
The Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership is a 12-team competition, with 10 of those acting as feeder teams to NRLW clubs. The NRLW competition starts on Thursday 25 July.
The feeder clubs and their NRLW clubs (in brackets) are Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (Sharks), St George Dragons and Illawarra Steelers (St George Illawarra Dragons), Parramatta Eels and Wentworthville Magpies (Eels), Newcastle Knights (Knights), Central Coast Roosters (Sydney Roosters), Mounties (Canberra Raiders), Manly Warringah Sea Eagles (Gold Coast Titans) and Wests Tigers (Tigers).
Other notable selections for Round One include True Blues Maddie Studdon, who will captain South Sydney Rabbitohs for their match against the Central Coast Roosters at Redfern Oval, and Shontelle Stowers who will lead the Sea Eagles against the Eels at 4 Pines Park, with both games to be played tomorrow (Saturday 6 July).
There are also players from the NSW Under 19s team which overwhelmed Queensland 46-4 last month – Maria Paseka and Hope Millard (Illawarra Steelers), Evie McGrath and Claudia Brown (Wests Tigers), Tia-Jordyn Vasilovski (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks) and Abby Aros (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs).
The Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership will be played over 11 rounds with the Grand Final to be played alongside the deciders for The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup and Jersey Flegg Cup at the NSWRL Grand Final Day on Sunday 29 September.
Click here for the Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership draw
