Women's rugby league in Shellharbour continues to go from strength to strength as the Sharks continue preparations to field an open women's tackle team next year.
The club this week unveiled Ronald Kissell as the inaugural head coach for the Sharks side in the Group Seven open women's tackle grade. The new outfit is part of an expansion of the club's women's program, complementing their two league tag teams in the 2024 competition.
Kissell, a Dapto junior who went on to play for Collegians in the Illawarra League, said "it's a very special honour" to be at the helm.
"It's a great club to be part of. My daughter plays league tag (at Shellharbour) and my youngest daughter will hopefully play in the under sixes tag next year as well," Kissell said.
"From a community perspective, the girls game has really taken off in the area so it's something that I really wanted to be involved in. The interest is definitely there. A couple of years ago, the club just had a division two league tag team team, and this year they had two division two league tag teams, so we're stepping up next year and fielding two league team teams as well as a tackle team.
"You look at the speed of the women's game, from the NRLW right down to grassroots and junior girls. Every club has half a dozen junior girls teams, and nearly every club in Group Seven has tag teams and the tackle competition is growing every year."
However, while excited about his team's prospects, Kissell didn't want to put too much pressure on his Sharks in 2024.
"We will probably have shorter goals for the girls on where they start the comp and where they finish it," the 35-year-old said.
"As the game grows and develops, you want their abilities to grow as individuals."
Joshua Bartlett
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
