This weekend we play host to the women’s State of Origin clash.
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The NSW Blues women’s team will take on the Queenslanders at WIN Stadium on Sunday.
The game will be played as a curtain-raiser to the St George Illawarra NRL clash with Manly.
Firstly, it is a great coup for this region to host the interstate clash.
Let’s just state that for the record.
It’s great Illawarra league fans can get along and witness this clash before what will hopefully be a big win for the Dragons.
The NSW Blues boast some awesome local talent such as Kezie Apps and Sam Bremner.
It’s awesome they get to play in front of a home crowd.
Queensland holds the upper hand in the women’s interstate contest, which the NSW Blues have only won once in 19 attempts – last year in fact.
Yet there is a strong argument to say this game shouldn’t be played this weekend.
Why is the game not centrestage alongside the men on the Origin stage?
Currently the junior divisions hold those spots with the under 16, under 18s and the under 20 men’s games currently holding down the key places on the Origin undercard.
If the NRL is serious about developing the women’s game then it deserves a place on Origin night. Surely?
Certainly Bremner, an Australian and NSW representative, believes so.
“I think it will just add to how exciting Origin is, having the best males and females in the state, playing against the opposition on the one stage at the one time,” the Helensburgh Tiger Lillies said this week.
We could not agree more.
There are 18,000 registered female players of league and the number is rising sharply.
NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg has already confirmed the league is looking at options for incorporating a women’s clash into Origin next year.
So if you have a chance to get along on Sunday and check out the clash, please make sure you get along early and support the women’s game.
Chances are, with good luck and good foresight, we won’t get that same opportunity again next year.
The Illawarra Mercury will bring you some coverage live from the NSW Blues camp at Kiama so keep watching online and our Illawarra Mercury Facebook page.
