The oldest Junior Rugby League club in western Sydney, the Penrith Waratahs, are rallying the troops after taking up an invitation from the local city council to be part of the ‘Walk Against Violence’ this Sunday 8 December.
Originally known as Penrith United when they formed in 1912, the name changed to Penrith Waratahs in 1922.
The club has painted a banner ‘Waratahs Walking Against Violence’ and is calling on its players and families to get behind Penrith City Council's event as part of a nationwide call to end violence against women and girls.
They hope upwards of 50 club members wearing pink polo shirts will do their bit to raise more awareness of the problem. The 1.8km walk starts at 9am on Sunday.
The Waratahs had 131 registered players in 2024 across 11 teams, from Under 5s girls and boys through to Open Men's in tackle and League Tag. They plan to start an Open Women’s team in 2025.
“I’ve been around football for a long time and it’s so good to see so much more interest in the female game,” said Waratahs Secretary, Kate Wennerbom, who has been with the club 18 years.
“It’s become so strong. Girls now know they can do anything they want if they put their mind to it.
“So things like taking part in the walk is about that same kind of empowerment – girls and women standing beside each other for change.”
One of two Female Co-ordinators at the club, Mark Lewis, said the Waratahs was a grassroots club that wanted to show its support of the local community.
“It’s about giving back and there’s no better way to do it than take a stand on one of the biggest issues facing us all – domestic violence,” Lewis said.
“We want to create that valuable awareness amongst not just our players and families but everyone in our district.
“It’s another reason why we’ve partnered with Penrith Women’s Health Centre to promote their services. They deal a lot with domestic violence victims and ways to make them feel more safe and secure.
“We hope by supporting an initiative like this, we’ll attract more female members to our club.
“Penrith District is one of the biggest Rugby League breeding grounds in Australia and the female game is opening up. The Waratahs intend to be a part of that growth.”
