THE 2025-26 season, which will climax with the traditional double-header finals day early next month, will be the Women’s Amateur Rugby League Association’s last.
There is little or no room for the winter-based competition, which was launched four decades ago and which significantly predates the Rugby Football League’s Women’s League, under the RFL’s new National Community Rugby League initiative.
The WRL said they were “saddened to announce that after more than 40 years, the league will fold on Sunday, March 1, when the last Cup and Plate finals, and presentations, take place at a venue to be announced.”
The statement added: “Representatives met with members of the RFL to discuss the women’s game – more specifically, WRLA’s role within it – and were informed that the National Community Rugby League drive would not include the continuation of the WRLA Winter League.
“There could, though, in the future be some type of pre-season scenario, which could include WRLA committee involvements in some capacity, if they were interested in doing so.
“Acknowledgement was made of the part WRLA had had within the women’s game, but the governing body was concerned regarding player welfare, with the number of games players were currently playing over a twelve-month period through a number of clubs playing both summer and winter competitions.”
WRLA chair Steve Manning said: “It was with a heavy heart that at last Monday’s WRLA Committee meeting I informed my colleagues of the governing body’s decision, and of its way forward for the women’s game.
“There were mixed emotions by them, to say the least, but I had to inform them that the decision had been made, and of the rationale behind it.
“We have a few league games left before the league splits, with the top four clubs competing for the Cup and the bottom four for the Plate.
“WRLA’s mantra has always been that if clubs want to play in winter then we would offer them that until it was no longer practical to run a league. That decision has been made for us.
“A venue has yet to be confirmed for our last-ever finals, but WRLA intend going out with a big bang and with heads held high.”
Marc Lovering, the RFL’s director of participation and development, told League Express: “During the last meeting there were discussions around what the shape of the WARLA offer might look like going forwards. We are just waiting on a response.
“Interestingly, when we looked at the data there were only 13 women playing in the winter offer only.”
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