Rugby league fans have been caught up in the action of the men’s competition since March. Now it’s time for the women to take the field, with the seventh NRLW season just around the corner.
In the six years of the league’s history, the NRLW has been dominated by dynasties, from the Brisbane Broncos’ three-peat to begin the competition, to where we are today, with the Newcastle Knights back-to-back champions coming into this season.
The 2024 competition is shaping up to be one of the best, with 10 teams competing over 45 matches in a nine round season, and an extended women’s State of Origin series.
NRL CEO Andrew Abdo spoke about the exciting addition of more NRLW double headers this season, with five on the radar at Allianz Stadium (Round 2), Brisbane (Round 3), the Gold Coast (Round 8), as well as Townsville and Parramatta (Round 9).
“The seventh NRLW premiership in 2024 will see more matches played at club home venues and an exciting number of double headers for fans,” Abdo said at the fixture launch last November.
“More people watched the 2023 NRLW premiership than ever before, and I have no doubt we will see a new record broken with new rivalries and new superstars emerging.”
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When does the 2024 NRLW season start?
Thursday, July 25, 2024
The seventh season of the NRLW will commence on July 25 between two of the premiership favourites, the Newcastle Knights and Sydney Roosters, who face off at McDonald Jones Stadium.
All 10 teams will feature in the first weekend of the competition, with the opening fixture on Thursday night to be followed by two matches on Saturday and two more on Sunday.
Continuing from last year’s expansion to the league, the regular season will run for nine weeks, meaning each team will play each other once before the finals series, which kicks off at the end of September.
Where can you watch the NRLW?
Channel 9
For all rugby league fans looking to get more into the NRLW this year, you’re in luck. The entire 2024 season will be broadcast exclusively on Channel 9, meaning supporters will be able to access each game for free.
Nearly all of the games avoid crossing over with the men’s competition, allowing supporters with teams in both leagues to watch their sides play without having to choose between the men’s or women’s team.
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Who are the teams to watch?
For the second straight season, the NRLW will have 10 teams competing for the Premiership, with almost all boasting a legitimate Premiership case.
To start with, there’s no denying that the back-to-back champions, the Newcastle Knights, have a strong chance at securing a third consecutive NRLW title. This would be the second three-peat in the competition’s history.
Led by Dally M medalist Tamika Upton, who crossed over for the two match-winning tries in the Grand Final, Newcastle are coming off the back of a strong 2023 campaign, where they lost just once and boasted a for-and-against of 105.
Another top contender is the Gold Coast Titans, who had one hand on the trophy before Upton’s heroics. Their side is loaded with representative footballers, including Shaylee Bent, Jaime Chapman, and Taliah Fuimaono, capable of elevating them into the postseason.
The Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters are two more sides always worth watching as they almost always finish in the top four – finals in the NRLW. Both sides have won NRLW premierships with Brisbane winning three straight in 2018, 2019, and 2020, while the Roosters lifted the trophy in 2021.
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Are there new NRLW teams coming?
Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs and New Zealand Warriors
Conversations on expanding the league have been ongoing since the NRLW’s 2018 inception. After explaining from the original four teams to the current 10 sides, 2025 will see two new teams, the Bulldogs and the Warriors, join the competition.
It’s an exciting opportunity for the league to expand overseas, especially considering rugby league’s growing popularity in New Zealand in recent years. The Warriors previously featured in the competition, but had to withdraw due to financial pressure during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.
The inclusion of the Bulldogs and Warriors leaves only Penrith, Manly, South Sydney, Melbourne, and the Dolphins without NRLW sides.
