Wiradjuri Goannas captain Amy Townsend has welcomed the news the Western Women's Rugby League will be extended this year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
When the fourth edition of the competition kicks off later this year it will feature 10 regular season rounds instead of five, plus a finals series.
Though a start date is yet to be confirmed, it will come shortly after Group 10, Group 11, Mid West, Castlereagh and Woodbridge Cup senior and junior competitions have concluded.
Townsend, who has both captained and coached Wiradjuri Goannas sides in recent years, said it will be a real boost for the women's game.
"Everyone is super excited," she said.
One of the driving forces behind the desire to lengthen the season is to aid the growth and development of the sport within the Western region - and Townsend says it will certainly help the Goannas who have gone down to Orange Vipers in successive grand finals.
READ ALSO:
Despite losing the past two deciders to their foes in Orange, the Goannas have been one of the standout teams in the WWRL and have already developed a number of hugely promising female players.
"When you lose two grand finals in a row you go, 'what's missing?'" Townsend said of her own side.
The Goannas have also impressed in the junior grades, with sides competing in the under 18s, 16s, and 14s competitions in 2020.
One of the big benefits of the longer season, according to Townsend, is the chance to further develop combinations and click as a side.
That is something particularly important in the women's game currently with a number of players new to the game and learning throughout the season.
More training days and pre-season games are in the planning, and the opportunity to play a longer competition is an exciting step forward for the game as well as for the Western side.
"What I personally would love to see is the women's competition run in conjunction with the men's 21s competition," Townsend added.
The men's 21s competition is a new initiative this season and will run in pre-season to help give young players more opportunities and boost the chances of more players lining up in the regular season.
Townsend added pre-season would also allow the women some cooler conditions to play in as well as increased exposure.
"If everyone could make that works it would bring more attention," she said.
"Our goal is to have it every week ... this is a huge step towards getting there."
The Orange Vipers, Panorama Platypi, Widwest Brumbies, Castlereagh Cougars, Woodbridge, and Goannas played in 2020.
