Seeing is believing: Bulldogs celebrate Women In League

Joining Tayla, we’ve added the signings of Ashleigh Quinlan, Ebony Prior, Andie Robinson, and Pauline Suli-Ruka. Pauline is an especially exciting signing for our Club as she represents the first player to have graduated through the Bulldogs Academy and be awarded an NRLW contract to play under the Bulldogs badge all the way from the junior representative level to the game's most elite level. Pauline is a key example of the pathway that now exists for young aspiring female players in the area, with the Club now able to offer a complete pathway from the junior league to the NRLW. Like many before her, she has come through our Lisa Fiaola, Tarsha Gale, and Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership squads but unlike those before her, she will mark the first player to remain in the Bulldogs badge throughout this entire journey.

Our recruitment drive has been incredibly strong, and several additional signing announcements will follow in the coming weeks as we work to complete our inaugural squad.

Our girls’ pathways teams have enjoyed immense success this season, with the Lisa Fiaola Cup team finishing as undefeated Premiers and the Tarsha Gale team reaching the preliminary final.

We expect many of these talented players to form the nucleus of our NRLW side in the years to come and many have been earmarked for our development squads in 2025 and 2026. The future of women’s football at the Bulldogs is incredibly exciting, and we can’t wait to see our NRLW team take the field in 2025.

It’s important to note that our 2024 Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership season is currently underway and off to a strong start, including a 24-20 win over the Wests Tigers at the weekend.

Our commitment to women’s football at Canterbury is stronger than ever, and we are investing significantly in ensuring that our female athletes receive the same opportunities and support as their male counterparts.

This investment would not be possible without the support of our great sponsors, from Laundy Hotels and JayCar Electronics who played a key role in our bid for the license, and Vari Group who believed in our strategy for the growth and development of our female pathway programs, through to our Round 22 Match Day Partners in Wattyl. We are incredibly grateful for their support and for helping us not only celebrate the crucial roles being played by women throughout the entire Bulldogs community but also for helping us create opportunities for them.

From the grassroots volunteers out there every weekend, to the administration and coaching staff influencing the future of the game from the office to our players and the refs on our fields and screens. The NRL's Women in League Round is all about showcasing to the next generation what is possible.

For the little girls and boys in the crowd, they each now have role models to look up to and aspire to be and it is incredibly exciting that now, they will know there is a role possible for them in rugby league.

As we circle back to the successes of our women’s teams on and off the field over the past 12-14 months, the passion and skill displayed by them has been inspiring and we look forward to building on this foundation.

We are proud to have had 11 girls selected in the NSW City v Country squads, two selected for NSW under 19s and Olivia Vaalele, who joins us here today, Seriah Palepale, Trinity Tauaneai, Pauline Suli-Ruka and Kayla Henderson selected in the Australian Schoolgirls side. The strength of these selections speaks volumes to the future here at the Bulldogs as we build over the next year to our NRLW entry, where we aspire to not only be competition-ready but to be competitive on entry, and able to sustain excellence over many years to come.

Centre of Excellence

Our plans for a multi million dollar Centre of Excellence at Belmore are progressing well. This facility will be a game-changer for our Club, providing state-of-the-art facilities for our players and staff. We are on track to commence building in 2025, and we are excited about the positive impact this will have on our Club’s future.

This Centre of Excellence will not only enhance our training capabilities but also serve as a beacon of our commitment to excellence. It will provide a world-class environment for both our male and female players to develop their skills and for our staff to support them in every way possible.

Community Initiatives

On the community front, our team, led by the amazing Di Langmack OAM who has long been a role model for women in Rugby League forging her success at an executive level, has done outstanding work connecting with local schools, hospitals, and families. Our Iftar celebrations were a huge success, and our junior league registration subsidy scheme in conjunction with Canterbury League Club has led to record levels of participation across the Canterbury Bankstown District Junior Rugby League.

Just this week alone, our female teams have been hard at work getting out and engaging with the community from assisting the Maronites on a Mission in their food van to a Tag to Tackle Gala Day with five schools in attendance. Our community engagement remains a top priority, and we are committed to making a positive impact on the lives of those around us.

Now while we are proud to be marking just how far we have come as we celebrate Women in League, we know that the legacy for women in the Blue and White is just getting started. We are far from done and can truly say we are only just getting started.

This next 12 months and the lead into our inaugural year in the NRLW will be momentous for our proud Club. This is the beginning of the next chapter of the history books, and we can’t wait to see it all unfold.

Bulldogs 2024 Women in League Ambassador: Lauren Milner

At the forefront of the Club’s development journey over the past few years, Lauren Milner has been integral to the Bulldogs’ women's pathways teams, our NRLW license submission bid, and the strategic planning for our NRLW entry.

She has been a versatile and dynamic part of this Club, not only handling the women’s pathways as we have grown to exponential heights with representation at all premier NSWRL competitions but also across the growth of our development initiatives and moving into a part-time match day operations role to help us capitalise on a premium match day experience for our fans.

Her nomination as our Women in League Ambassador is complemented by her recommendation from our Club’s Executive and Board to a new NRL Executive Mentoring Program designed to empower and support the career advancement of women with the game.

Lauren has successfully accepted to this program where she has begun linking up with an executive mentor who will provide guidance, share valuable knowledge and insight, and offer the support needed to help her navigate and advance in what we know will be a long and successful career in rugby league.

With career advancement in mind, it is with great pleasure that we announce Lauren has been appointed as the Club’s NRLW Manager, effectively stepping into the role with the new season in November. Lauren has long been ear-marked as a future female leader and this promotion is incredibly well deserved.

It is important to note that when Lauren joined the Bulldogs, our NRLW license was all but a dream. Our vision was to always move towards obtaining a license as soon as we were ready and Lauren has been instrumental in helping us move towards this vision, be in the best position possible to be awarded the license, and in building the structure and framework for the NRLW next year.

Lauren is an incredible role model for all women in sport, having commenced her journey as a proud footy mum, joining her local grassroots administration as a volunteer before working her way up to a board position as the first female Chairperson with the Bears Junior League Club, and now becoming our Club’s first-ever NRLW Football Manager.

Not only is she a proud advocate for driving equality in the game and opening up greater opportunities for women across the game, but she is living proof of what is possible.

If seeing is believing, Lauren is a prime example of just how far we have come and will be a driving force for how far we can go well into the future.

Help Raise Funds for OCA

This year, Women In League Round has also been helping to raise awareness and much-needed funds for Ovarian Cancer Australia (OCA).

Ovarian Cancer Australia is an independent national not-for-profit organisation supporting people impacted by Ovarian Cancer. Their focus is to provide care and support for those affected by Ovarian Cancer and their families and represent them by leading change through advocacy work. Support OCA will ensure no woman with ovarian cancer walks alone.

You can donate to OCA via: https://www.ovariancancer.net.au/donations