Leading coaches Ruan Sims and Alicia-Kate Hawke have been appointed assistants to head coach John Strange for the Westpac NSW Blues Women in 2025.
The pair will work with Strange over the three-game series in May, just the second time women’s State of Origin has been staged across three matches, with NSW hosting two games for the first time.
Game One kicks off the NRL’s Magic Round at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on Thursday 1 May, Game Two is at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium on 15 May, and Game Three at Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium on 29 May.
“Ruan and Alicia-Kate bring a great set of skills, when it comes to guiding our players,” Strange said.
“They both have been head coaches at Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership level, involved in rep teams for NSWRL Country-City matches, and assistant coaches for NRLW clubs.”
This will be Sims’ fourth year as assistant women’s Origin coach. She took the helm of Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the 2023 Harvey Norman NSW Women’s premiership, coached NSW Country to consecutive wins over City in 2022-2023, and was assistant coach to Tony Herman when the Sharks made the 2024 NRLW Grand Final.
Hawke was head coach at the Illawarra Steelers for Harvey Norman in 2022, assistant NSW Country coach in 2023, and for the past two years has been assistant coach at the North Queensland Cowboys NRLW side.
Strange is a two-time NRLW premiership-winning coach with the Sydney Roosters (2021, 2024).
He has made the announcement as the ’50 Days to Go’ countdown approaches next week for Game One in Brisbane on 1 May.
Strange, Sims, and Hawke have planned weekly training and opposed sessions to bring players’ fitness and skill levels up to where they should be ahead of Game One.
“In the absence of having our female players take part in a club competition leading up to Origin, which was the same case last year, we are preparing a rigorous six-week training program for a squad of 30 players,” Strange said.
“At the end of that program I will name 20 players for Game One.
“Three games in one month will test the players both physically and mentally.
"But we will do everything we can to produce a team NSW can be proud of, and one that can return the Shield to this great state.”
Click here for women’s Origin tickets.
