In 2023, the NRL Telstra Women’s Premiership will be bigger than ever. You'll be able to watch every game in prime time on free-to-air TV (the Nine Network), and there are four new teams in the competition, and six of the ten teams are from NSW. And the Grand Final will be combined with the men's NRL Grand Final, at Accor Stadium at Olympic Park (tickets on-sale now). So, Sydneysiders – if you haven’t already, it’s time to get around the biggest national women’s sporting league our state has ever seen.
The NRLW 2023 season kicks off on Saturday, July 22, and runs for nine rounds, followed by semi-finals. You can view dates of all games on the NRLW draw here and get tickets here. The NRLW Grand Final 2023 will be played on Sunday, October 1, right before the men’s NRL Grand Final, at Accor Stadium.
For 2023, new teams the Wests Tigers, Cronulla Sutherland Sharks, Canberra Raiders and North Queensland Cowboys have now joined the existing teams – the Sydney Roosters, Parramatta Eels, St George Illawarra Dragons, Newcastle Knights, Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast Titans – in the NRL Women's comp.
Ahead of the season, we caught up with NRLW player (as well as Fox Sports and ABC presenter) Tiana Pentiani (pictured above left), who has this season moved from the Parramatta Eels to captain the new Cronulla Sutherland Sharks team. She's thrilled to see support for and eyes on the game is moving in leaps and bounds.
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How did you get involved in rugby league?
As a kid, I pursued a whole range of sports, and then when I was in high school I started playing rugby 7s in pursuit of going to the 2016 Olympics, and although I didn’t make the Olympics due to injury, I played 7s for Australia for five-and-a-half years. At the end of May 2017, I took a break from professional sport, and my husband signed with the Sharks during that time, so we moved to Cronulla. I ran into some old friends that I played touch with in high school, and they were playing [rugby league] at that time, so they were like, come down for a run, see if you like rugby league. That was just after the inaugural NRLW had kicked off, so I remember watching it on TV and it just looked super exciting. It got my mind ticking on whether I'd make a transition or not. In 2019 I made my NRL debut, State of Origin debut and then Australian debut as well. So it was a really big year.
It’s nice that you and your husband have been in the same sport…
Yeah, he's retired now, but it was really cool. He was really supportive, he was the one that kind of pushed me over the edge and was like, “Go and play and you'll love it – you're super competitive.” That gave me a little push in the right direction.
You also present for Fox Sports and ABC – how did you get into that?
I had a lot of media exposure from quite a young age playing rugby 7s, and made some connections and built some strong relationships. So I started at Fox Sports with the Rugby guys – after I finished rugby 7s, I was offered a job as a commentator on the Sevens World Series for World Rugby. I threw myself into the deep end, and learnt a lot on the job and on the fly. Now I’ve transitioned across to rugby league, but I'm half Tongan as well, which is where I kind of landed the gig on the ABC being the host of That Pacific Sports Show. I’m really proud of my heritage and culture, so being able to hold space for Pacific Islander athletes.
What’s been the biggest challenge you've faced along the way?
Two of the biggest challenges I've faced have been my two ACL ruptures. I tore my ACL when I was 17 (in 2013), and then I really tore it when I was 19. They were huge character-building moments for me, testing my resilience. They were pivotal moments in my career, they made me as mentally strong as I am. Although they were pretty devastating at the time, I'm very grateful that I've gone through them because they've definitely shaped me into the athlete that I am.
Do you feel like support for women's rugby league has really built since the launch of the NRLW?
Yeah, definitely. Every year, the games are going from strength to strength. I feel like the support and getting eyes on the game is moving in leaps and bounds. It just comes down to exposure, because you can't be what you can't see. So the more exposure there has been on TV and with the competition expanding, the more participation there is among young girls.
And, seeing as we're Time Out, what are your favourite spots in Sydney?
My coffee spot: Favourite coffee is hard to pick because there are so many spots in the Shire, but I live in Engadine so my favourite coffee spot is Hugh John Manors, which is this cute little café on the corner.
My restaurants: I'm a big foodie, so I could rattle off many different restaurants and cafés, but my favourite restaurant is Alphabet Street in Cronulla, or Chin Chin in Surry Hills, or China Doll.
My downtime spot: I like to take the dogs for a walk, go for a swim at the beach. I grew up in Maroubra, so I love it up that way, but down here, it’s probably Wanda Beach or Cronulla.
My getaway: I love being near water. I love camping, going adventuring with my hubby and our friends, travelling the coastline. My favourite spot at the moment is Narooma on the South Coast. It's just absolutely stunning down there.
You can view dates of all games on the NRLW draw here and get tickets here. You can also watch every match of the NRLW 2023 season free to air on the Nine Network, as well as Fox Sports and Kayo. If you miss a game, you can watch it on catch-up via Kayo.