Women's junior rugby league will happen in 2024, Group 10 juniors has confirmed.
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A meeting on Monday (March 4) is expected to iron out details but the tackle version of the game will have separate under 14s and 16s female divisions for the first time under the Group 10 banner.
Group 10 Junior Rugby League president Peter Morris confirmed the season will be shorter than the boy's competitions to allow players time to rest before the Western Women's Rugby League (WWRL) kicks off in late September/early October.
It will also run side-by-side with junior league tag which currently has competitions in the same age categories.
'Growth' indisputable
Morris spoke to this masthead in December 2023 after the board called for expressions of interest in running a junior female tackle competition.
![Daisy Bohringer during the 2023 Group 10 under 16s league tag grand final. Picture by Carla Freedman Daisy Bohringer during the 2023 Group 10 under 16s league tag grand final. Picture by Carla Freedman](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/131358433/53b71262-be31-4ab8-b79e-1a52b6ae0062.JPG/r294_532_6605_4458_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
At the time he confirmed Group 10 did not want to interfere with the WWRL but said the growth in the game couldn't be ignored.
"That's the growth in footy," he said.
"More girls are playing because there is NRLW. I could see why a little girl would aspire to be like a Tamika Upton.
"She's a gun player and I'm sure these days young girls watch the footy just like the young boys do. We have to move with the times.
![Orange CYMS' Gerilee Gordon attempts to weave her way through the Bathurst Panthers defence. Picture by Carla Freedman Orange CYMS' Gerilee Gordon attempts to weave her way through the Bathurst Panthers defence. Picture by Carla Freedman](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/131358433/4337a5bc-8c58-4633-b0cd-789de0f56953.JPG/r0_0_7559_4587_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"They (WWRL) have just run a terrific competition and we certainly don't want to take anything away from them because that's a great competition but if there was room to fit a little competition with teams like CYMS and Panthers and Lithgow Storm that would certainly be great."
Key dates locked in
The junior season will kick-off on Saturday, May 4 for boy's tackle and Sunday, May 5 for girl's league tag and tackle.
The girl's tackle grand final will be held on Sunday, June 23 and the league tag decider will be on Sunday, September 1.
The boy's finals series kicks off on Saturday, August 17 and will line-up with the senior Peter McDonald Premiership (PMP).
The boy's grand final will take place on Saturday, September 7 with the PMP grand final on Sunday, September 8.