Harvey Norman have continued their 12-year association with women’s rugby league by becoming the official major partner of the Women’s World Cup, while the Federal, NSW and Queensland Governments are backing the stand alone women’s tournament, beginning on November 16.
The Jillaroos were able to send their best team to the last World Cup in 2013 after the NRL paid for the travel costs of the players for the first time and they returned from England as the winners but Bremner said the unprecedented financial support will take their game to another level.
For the first time, the Women’s and Men’s World Cups will be played at the same time, with both finals to be played in Brisbane on December 2, and the backing of Harvey Norman as of the official major partner of the Women’s World Cup has elevated the tournament to another level.
“We had come a long way up until the last World Cup and we have come a long way since then.
“This time round all we have to focus and concentrate on is our training, rather than if we are going to have enough money, if we are going to have enough time off work or if we are going to have someone at home with our children or partners.
“Everything will be taken care off so there is less stress and the best thing is we are going to be able to be the best athletes we can be because of the support of Harvey Norman and the government grants.”
Harvey Norman has been Australia’s strongest corporate supporter of women’s rugby league, with an ongoing investment in the women’s game from grassroots to the elite level.
The retail giant recently announced support for the NSW Rugby League and Queensland Rugby League female pathways programs and has been the naming rights partner of the Jillaroos since 2015.
“It’s always been important to our company that we are supporting 50 per cent of the population in whatever they choose to do with their sport. Once you get to a certain point where everyone recognises that this is great and everyone gets on board it is going to explode.”
Page said last Friday night’s ANZAC Test between the Jillaroos and New Zealand Ferns, which was watched by a television audience of 312,000 on Channel Nine, had exposed many fans to the quality of women’s rugby league.
“There were a lot of reactions about just how good these women are and they are elite sports people,” she said. “It was such a sensational game and it gives us all a sense of what we have to look forward to with the Women’s Rugby League World Cup.
“For those girls to have this sort of support, not just from us but from rugby league, from Australia and from governments as well, just means so much to them because they have all worked so hard.”
RLWC2017 CEO Andrew Hill said that the support of Harvey Norman as major partner of the Women’s World Cup was a vote of confidence in the tournament and the international game, as well as women’s rugby league.
“It adds to the prestige of the tournament but what it also allows us to do is to profile our athletes and not just the Australian Jillaroos as there are six nations playing in the Women’s World Cup,” Hill said.
“Not only do we want this to be a memorable event for all involved, but we want this tournament to set a successful framework for future Rugby League World Cups to build upon as the women’s international game evolves.”
The pool stage and semi-finals of the Women’s World Cup, featuring Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, England, Cook Islands and Canada, will be played at Southern Cross Group Stadium in Cronulla from November 16 to November 26.
By Brad Walter | @BradWalterSport
Chief Correspondent, RLWC2017
