School Ambassador Program leading the way for teachers in female space

Providing the pathway for the next NRLW star is now becoming a normal procedure for schools across the country with more young girls taking up rugby league alongside their education. 

This has been fast-tracked by the NRL's School Ambassador Program, which was launched in February with around 1,000 school staff registered from teachers to sport coordinators and principals signing up in the last four months. 

School ambassadors have a direct line of communication and connection to the NRL with exclusive access to the latest information, resources, opportunities, offers and experiences. 

Selected members of the program were invited to a pre-game function prior to Ampol Women’s State of Origin I with guest speaker Sam Bremner talking about the importance that schools play in helping usher through NRLW talent.

The event also enabled school staff to network and discuss their important roles in women's rugby league in the school system by allowing students to have multiple opportunities to play the game. 

Hills Sports High School teacher Patricia Raikadroka, who starred with a hat-trick for the Australian Prime Minister's XIII side in 2019, said the school's decision to enter a women's team for the first time this year was a game changer.

"I say to these girls all the time if I was half as good as you are at 14... honestly the advantage they have of starting so much earlier is enormous," Raikadroka said.

"They're playing all these other sports like OzTag and touch footy and they're incredible at it but now they have rugby league as a pathway and they can play more regularly with the school's support and in major schoolgirls competitions."

A long-time sports coordinator at St Patricks College in Campbelltown, Scott Ashcroft has had an affiliation with the NRL for over a decade and is playing a crucial role in the Macarthur region in getting girls more involved in the game.

Ashcroft will coach the Christ Catholic Colleges under 18s side at the Schoolgirls National Championships in Redcliffe later this year.

"We’re all at that base level and it’s exciting to be involved in something new," Ashcroft said.

"The interest from girls wanting to play rugby league is massive especially being from an all-girls school and the opportunity to play and be on a level playing field as their brothers makes a massive difference.

"It’s the coach-ability of the girls and their willingness to learn that is the best thing.

"Sometimes the boys often think they know everything already but the girls want to be taught and want to analyse the game and know everything.

"They do an amazing job and it’s great to see everyone who has started at the bottom and worked their way through."

To learn more about the NRL's School Ambassador Program, click here.