In a club first, the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys successfully hosted the inaugural Cowboys Open Womens Trial, providing players the opportunity to be selected into the Cowboys Open Women’s Elite Development Squad.
Held across the weekend, the trial saw a mix of North Queensland locals, as well as players travelling from all corners of Queensland and New South Wales converge in Townsville for two days of rigorous strength and athletic performance testing, before having the chance to showcase their ability on the playing field with skills tests and live scrimmages.
Following a thorough application process, 59 players aged between 17 and 35 participated in the trial, providing the first opportunity for a number of players to be exposed to an elite pathways environment, as well as the chance for a range of athletes to make the transition from other sports, with players coming from a variety of sporting backgrounds such as touch football, rugby union and cross fit.
For Cowboys Head of NRLW & Women’s Elite Pathways Anita Creenaune, the trial was an exciting step in highlighting the rugby league pathways available for female players in North Queensland.
“After a lot of planning, it was fantastic to see our first ever Cowboys Womens Open Age Trial come together,” she said.
“The trial was a great opportunity for us to not only potentially discover elite prospects to come into our NRLW system, but provide further exposure for all the pathways in place for female players across North Queensland.
“At times, it can be difficult to get into an elite pathway with things like financial circumstances or regional isolation hindering access to selection or participation in representative teams. A trial like this allows up-and-coming athletes an opportunity to showcase their ability in front of our state and national coaches and we’re really happy to have been able to work together to facilitate that opportunity for these women,
“We are really fortunate, that in 2025 North Queensland will be represented across two QRLW state teams with Northern Pride joining the Mackay Cutters in the BMD competition. With the 2025 BMD season aligning with the NRLW season next year, more young women will have an opportunity to reach their state and national potential at home here in NQ," she said.
The trial also provided the chance for players to get an understanding of the level required to reach the NRLW, whether it be from a fitness or skill point of view.
“For the players still developing in the game, it was great to get a real-life example of the benchmark they need to reach to play at the highest level, while for the club it was a fantastic chance to see what areas of skill and athletic performance we can focus on more, within the North Queensland pathways.”
Players invited to trial participated in a range of fitness, strength and power testing on Saturday, before braving the searing Townsville conditions on Sunday morning, taking the field to showcase their skills in modified matches.
Off the field, the weekend provided an opportunity to bring together coaches in the women’s game from across the region. Community league coaches, as well as coaching staff from the three NQ state league clubs, Under 17's and Under 19's programs took part in a coaching mentoring session with Cowboys staff before assisting with the open trial.
Players who participated in the trial made themselves eligible to be selected in the Cowboys Open Elite Player Development Squad, as well as the Mackay Cutters and Northern Pride BMD Premiership squads and their extended academies into Under 17’s and Under 19’s.
Regardless of outcome, each player will receive a performance evaluation report from Cowboys coaching and performance staff, providing further opportunity for players to develop their game.
