A women’s tackle competition remains on the agenda beyond 2019 but it won’t be at the expense of rebranded Blues Tag according to Newcastle Rugby League chief executive officer Matt Harris.
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Female players from each of the eight district clubs joined NSW Rugby League ambassador and NRL 330-gamer Nathan Hindmarsh at McDonald Jones Stadium this week for the official Blues Tag launch.
NSWRL-endorsed Blues Tag now replaces the existing Ladies League Tag in name only with rules, teams and scheduling to remain the same this year.
Harris said conversations were ongoing on how to best introduce tackle while still allowing the non-contact format to exist in Newcastle RL, noting that next year’s move to unite NSWRL and Country Rugby League under the one banner would be considered in any decisions.
“They are conversations we are already having and will continue to have,” Harris told the Newcastle Herald.
“Our female competition committee includes players, who are from touch, oz tag and tackle backgrounds. There are some participants who are really keen to introduce tackle and there are some who are only interested in tag. The big challenge is how to schedule and format both of them without replacing one with the other.
“We definitely see Blues Tag as part of our district competition moving forward. In terms of tackle there is definitely an appetite for that format, but it won’t be happening in 2019.
“And with the one state body model on the cards for 2020, plus a few other tackle options already around, we don’t want to rush into anything.”
CRL will run an all-female tackle competition in the greater Hunter region for a second straight year in 2019 while the CRL Newcastle representative team will again contest the NSWRL Women’s Premiership.
Newcastle RL will hold a Blues Tag gala weekend on March 2 and 3.
A Blues Tag representative squad will be selected after the All Stars event at No.2 Sportsground on Saturday, March 30 with fixtures for the Newcastle Rebels to be scheduled later in the year.
“There will definitely be some rep games this year,” Harris said.
“We would eventually like to align the women with the men. Newcastle play a combined Ron Massey [Sydney] side and then another team would be picked from that.”
Meanwhile, Macquarie will be the sole Newcastle RL representative in this year’s NSW Challenge Cup. The Scorpions, crowned state champions in 2017 after taking out the inaugural knockout competition, host the Wyong Roos at Lyall Peacock Field on February 16.