As the Jillaroos celebrate 30 years since their first Test, NRL.com is shining the spotlight on some of the unheralded players who played a key role in the rise of women’s rugby league. This week in our Jillaroos Journey series is Jillaroo No.113 Heather Ballinger.
Heather Ballinger thought about hanging up the boots on multiple occasions throughout the 2010s.
But then she’d look around and see the uprising.
Women’s rugby league was booming on the back of the Jillaroos’ breakthrough 2013 World Cup win.
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Australia was hosting the 2017 tournament and Ballinger was desperate to be part of it.
“After 2013 I said ‘I’m going to play another World Cup’,” Ballinger told NRL.com. “I just got in and did everything I could to be there.
“We weren’t winning anything, then we finally won it and you could see what it did to our game. People started taking an interest from the outside, we had spectators and sponsors get on board.
“It was nice to finally adopt the World Cup title rather than just the Festival of World Cups and it was great to go out for a World Cup at home.”
While the foundation for the growth of women’s rugby league was first laid in 1995, the years between 2013 and 2017 were the period the curve really turned upwards.
On the back of Australia’s World Cup win, the NRL significantly increased investment in the women’s game, with grassroots competitions established and more funds directed towards the elite level.
The Jillaroos players were paid for the first time in 2014, opening up the possibility for players of all backgrounds to represent their country.
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The arrival of Brad Donald as coach in late 2016 accelerated the rise, with the mentor helping establish and solidify pathways from junior football all the way through to the Test arena as part of a broader role he held with the NRL.
“We had to work on making sure we had the right pathways to feed the NRLW,” Ballinger said. “A lot of planning went into that and we owe a lot to Brad Donald who put a lot of work into it.
“There was a big shift in the programs provided to us players as well. Before 2013 we had to come up with our own ways to keep ourselves fit but then we actually had programs set for us.
“We were more prepared and supported. We had dietary requirements and information on how to manage sleep. It was things like that that showed us the game was growing.”
With a four-year runway to the 2017 tournament, the players knew how important it was they delivered in front of their home fans to keep the momentum rolling.
The Jillaroos handled the pressure to edge New Zealand 23-16 in the final at Suncorp Stadium, the match played immediately before the Kangaroos held out England to hoist the men’s trophy.
Donald used the tournament as an opportunity to plan for the future and one topic repeatedly came up in discussions with the players.
The establishment of the NRLW.
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While the NRL had begun to lay the early groundwork for a women’s competition, it was part of a long-term plan. The 2017 World Cup rapidly changed that.
“It wouldn’t have started in 2018 if we didn’t win the World Cup,” Current co-captain Ali Brigginshaw said. “When we wrote down we wanted to make an NRL competition, I didn’t think they wanted to do it in 2018.
“When it happened, it was clear we laid a great platform by winning the 2017 World Cup. People started talking about how great it would be to have a competition and it generated the momentum.
“If we went and got flogged in the World Cup, it’s hard to get something off the ground if you didn’t perform on home soil.”
The opportunity to play in the first NRLW season was a driving factor in Ballinger’s decision to play on beyond the 2017 World Cup.
Having played such a big role in helping the competition be established, the prop was desperate to be part of it.
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The veteran’s dedication was rewarded when she helped Brisbane win the inaugural premiership in 2018. While she didn’t know it at the time, the grand final turned out to be her final NRLW match.
Others were not so lucky.
Jenni-Sue Hoepper, a breakout star at the 2013 World Cup and the first women’s Dally M Medallist in 2015, stepped away from rugby league to start a family. While she later returned to the game, she didn’t get the chance to play in the NRLW.
“I was going through the phase of adding to my family,” Hoepper said. “That’s the one thing throughout my career I didn’t have an opportunity to play in. Honestly, after having two kids and with the commitment needed, with where the NRLW was at, it was probably too far for me.
“I would have loved to tick that box but the quality of the competition had already risen so much. With the four teams, it would have meant relocating as well which was a bit too difficult. I didn’t get to play but I was able to be a fan of the game and I loved watching it.”
Ballinger, Brigginshaw and a core group of Jillaroos helped provide a crucial bridge between generations.
Having learned the stories of the pioneers, the 2017 team was desperate to play a similar role inspiring the next crop of youngsters while also fighting for improved conditions and opportunities on and off the field.
The results are clear to see. The Jillaroos won a third-straight World Cup in 2022 and have their sights on a fourth when Australia host the tournament next year.
The NRLW is the most watched women’s football code in the country.
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Tamika Upton, Isabelle Kelly and numerous others are household names. Finally, and most importantly, young girls can see a clear pathway from junior rugby league to the elite game and they can make a living while chasing their dreams on the field.
That, Brigginshaw said, is all thanks to the hard work and dedication of all 179 Jillaroos throughout the team’s 30-year history. It’s a legacy current and future teams will continue to pass on.
“That is what the Jillaroos are built on,” Brigginshaw said. “The older generations pass the legacy on to the younger generation, who become the older generation and keep passing it on.
“We didn’t have books or people talking about what the Jillaroos did in the early days, we relied on players to pass it on. They taught us how to play as a Jillaroo, that we fight for everything.
“We care for every teammate like they were family. We always talk about the Jillaroos family, Heather was the one leading that through all her years and it’s what we’ll continue to lead.”