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'Game changer': NRLW coaches boost Nigeria's World Cup bid
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Nigerian coach Bolu Fagborun will seek the advice of leading NRLW coaches as the Green Falcons step up their campaign for the final women’s berth at the 2026 World Cup.
Fagborun will arrive in Australia this week and has been in contact with Sydney Roosters and NSW coach John Strange, Gold Coast’s Karyn Murphy and Cronulla’s Tony Herman, while also planning visits to a number of NRL clubs.
Wests Tigers pathways coach Luke Shearman is Nigeria's coach and Fagborun has called on other NRL contacts after playing for Huddersfield alongside the likes of Michael De Vere (Broncos) and Ben Roarty (Storm).
He will also attend the opening women’s State of Origin match at Suncorp Stadium on May 1.
A welcome event will be held in Sydney on Thursday night and while in Australia Fagborun will meet with potential heritage players and sponsors who are keen to help Nigeria’s bid to qualify for RLWC2026.
To do so, Nigeria must win the inaugural women's World Series in Canada at the end of the season.
Nigeria play Ireland on October 21 at Brampton’s Terry Fox Stadium and if they win the Green Falcons will meet the winner of Canada and Fiji in the World Series final at Toronto’s Lamport Stadium on October 26.
“We have got to hit the ground running with two games in five days, so I have got to know what I can do to give Nigeria the best chance of winning the World Series,” Fagborun said.
“These coaches are involved at an elite level, and I have got girls in Nigeria who I have got to prepare to play for their nation in a high-pressure game with a lot at stake, so it would be really good to get an insight from them.
The reality is that we are a bit of a giant killer so I am really keen to learn in Australia what I can do to give Nigeria an edge.
“Especially with the halves, that is going to be a really a key area. We need our halves to be phenomenal and that doesn’t come just by them being natural athletes.”
The Green Falcons qualified for the World Series by beating Kenya in a two Test series last year, with the African representative being decided on for-and-against after Nigeria won the first Test 22-14 and lost the second 8-0
Fagborun said he was proud of the efforts of his players, who had to adapt to playing more than 1500 metres above sea level in Kenya, and believes that winning a place in RLWC2026 – or even just the match against Ireland – would have a huge impact on the game in Nigeria.
“I think it would be absolutely transformational,” he said.
“Many of these women have never left Africa, so to go to the other side of the world and win a game - one that we are not expected to do well in, we are going in as underdogs - would be game changing for these women.
It would show that they can compete against women from across the world and highlight the potential in Africa.
“They just need to get into an environment where rugby league is professional or semi-professional, with regular training and games, to see where they can get to.”
Nigeria will warm up for the World Series by hosting France later this year and are aiming to join Australia, England, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Wales at RLWC2026 by winning the final berth at the World Series.
However, with two Women’s World Cups to be staged in three years, Fagborun also has an eye on the 2028 tournament and beyond.
“If we can find some 14-or-15-year-old girls with Nigerian heritage in Australia and New Zealand, that could be a pipeline for the future,” he said.
“It is hard to ignore the [90-4] scoreline in the Australian-England game in Las Vegas and I know how competitive it is in Australia, so there might be some players who want the opportunity to represent.
“I’ve also engaged with the New Zealand Rugby League, and I’ve had a conversation with [CEO] Greg Peters and [High Performance GM] Motu Tony, just to see if there are any Nigerian players over there as well.”
