Women’s Rugby League Association confirm 12 teams for winter league

WRLA (Women’s Rugby League Association) held their AGM at The Drop Kick, Bradford which saw twelve sides commit to playing in the winter league in the 2017/18 season. This will comprise of the eleven sides that played last year and newcomers Dewsbury Moor Ladies

It was agreed that the season will commence on Sunday 15th October and finish on Sunday 1st April 2018, the finale being the WRLA Challenge Cup and Plate Finals which once again will be played at Featherstone Rovers RLFC.

The Lancashire Yorkshire Origin game will take place once again as part of a double header with the BARLA Yorkshire Cup Final at a date to be announced again at Featherstone Rovers RLFC.

The previous season’s committee all stood down but were unanimously re-elected to continue those roles. A new position of IT Manager was added to the WRLA committee and will be taken up by Jake Brook who is also involved with referee’s appointments and discipline.

The clubs agreed the approval of amendments to the Rules & Constitution.

Steve Manning WRLA Chair,

“I would like to thank all the attending clubs at the AGM for re-electing all the officers back to their current positions, which shows that the clubs are happy with the progress we are making. The women’s game is now a twelve months game giving participants a choice of when they can play.

“An added position on the committee is that of IT Manager and the election of Jake Brook into that post. Jake has worked hard in meetings with the RFL and WRLA will be adopting League Net the governing bodies’ computerised administrative systems through Sports TG.

“Our league is going to be one of the ‘guinea pigs’ for this new system and as a forward thinking league are pleased for having been given that honour. As a result of Jakes IT experience, working within that industry, and previous input before taking the position and during committee meetings we are very fortunate as a league.

“WRLA decided that this was the way to go, we will also not be using ID cards either from this season. We are a forward looking league although appreciating not one system fits all. We are lucky we have someone with Jakes experience on board and he is working hard with the RFL to make it work for WRLA.

“Finally I would like to thank last year’s eleven sides for returning to the league and welcome newcomers Dewsbury Moor to the table and wish them good luck. I have once again promised all the clubs regular fixtures home and away, it’s up to the clubs to make it happens and I’m crossing everything hoping and praying we have a kind winter as opposed to an unkind summer!!!”

The teams taking part are:

Wigan St Patricks

Stanningley

Batley

East Leeds

West Leeds

Huddersfield St Josepphs

University of Liverpool

Odsal Sedberg Sirens

Dewsbury Moor

Hunslet Warriors

Hull Wyke

Thornhill Trojans