QRL Women's Premiership

The QRL Women's Premiership, known as the BHP Premiership due to sponsorship from BHP, is the top level of women's rugby league football in Queensland, Australia. Run by the Queensland Rugby League, the competition is Queensland's first statewide open age women's competition.

QRL Women's Premiership
SportRugby league
Instituted2019 (2019)
Inaugural season2020
Number of teams8
Country Australia
Websitewww.qrl.com.au
Related competitionNRL Women's Premiership
NSWRL Women's Premiership

History
See also: Women's rugby league in Australia

Prior to the foundation of the statewide QRL Women's Premiership competition, the strongest competition in the state was the Southeast Queensland Women's Division 1. The competition only featured sides from the southeast corner of the state, which forced players from central and northern Queensland to travel hours each week to take part or participate in weaker competitions.

On 21 November 2019, the Queensland Rugby League confirmed that they had begun taking expressions of interest from clubs wishing to participate in a statewide women's competition in 2020.[1][2] On the same day, the Burleigh Bears, who won four straight SEQ Women's Division 1 premierships from 2015 to 2018, confirmed that they would take part in the competition.[3][4]

On 17 December 2019, the QRL Women's Premiership competition was announced to begin in 2020. The nine-week competition will feature eight teams, six from southeast Queensland's Division 1 competition – Burleigh, Easts Tigers, Brothers Ipswich, Souths Logan Magpies, Tweed Heads Seagulls and the West Brisbane Panthers, and two from regional Queensland – the North Queensland Gold Stars and Central Queensland Capras.[5][6]

On 6 March 2020, the QRL announced that the competition would be sponsored by BHP, with the competition to be known as the BHP Premiership.[7] On 14 March 2020, the North Queensland Gold Stars defeated Ipswich Brothers 24–10 in the inaugural game, with Ipswich centre Tanika Marshall scoring the competition's first ever try.[8]

On 17 March 2020, two days after the completion of Round One, the QRL announced a suspension of the competition until 5 June, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] On 27 March, ten days after the suspension, the QRL confirmed the cancellation of the competition for the 2020 season.[10][11] On 15 December 2020, the QRL announced the return of the competition for the 2021 season. Valleys Diehards will join the competition in 2021, replacing Ipswich Brothers, who chose to withdraw.[12]

Teams

The QRL Women's Premiership consists of eight teams, five from South East Queensland and one each from North Queensland, Central Queensland and Northern New South Wales. The league operates on a single group system, with no divisions or conferences and no relegation and promotion from other leagues.

Current clubs
QRL Women's Premiership
Club Established Joined City Stadium(s)
Brisbane Tigers 1917 2020 Brisbane Totally Workwear Stadium
Burleigh Bears 1934 2020 Gold Coast Pizzey Park
Central Queensland Capras 1996 2020 Rockhampton Browne Park
North Queensland Gold Stars 2019 2020 Townsville Jack Manski Oval
Souths Logan Magpies 2003 2020 Brisbane Davies Park
Tweed Heads Seagulls 1909 2020 Tweed Heads Piggabeen Sports Complex
Valleys Diehards 1909 2021 Brisbane Emerson Park
West Brisbane Panthers 1915 2020 Brisbane Frank Lind Oval

Previous clubs
QRL Women's Premiership
Club First season Last season City Stadium(s)
Ipswich Brothers 2020 2020 Ipswich Blue Ribbon Motors Field

See also

References
  1. "QRL women's competition on the cards". Cairns Post. 3 November 2019.(subscription required)
  2. "Boost for female pathways as statewide vision unveiled". Queensland Rugby League. 20 November 2019.
  3. "Bears roar for four! Burleigh takes title". Queensland Rugby League. 11 August 2018.
  4. "QRL Women's Open-Aged State Wide Competition for 2020!".
  5. "QRL: Golden era of women's league in state's north". Townsville Bulletin. 17 December 2019.(subscription required)
  6. "Teams to contest new QRLW competition locked in". Queensland Rugby League. 16 December 2019.
  7. "New era begins with launch of BHP Premiership". Queensland Rugby League. 6 March 2020.
  8. "Gold Stars beat Brothers Ipswich in first BHP Premiership clash". QRL. 14 March 2020.
  9. https://www.qrl.com.au/news/2020/05/18/qrl-coronavirus-updates/
  10. https://www.qrl.com.au/news/2020/03/27/2020-qrl-statewide-competitions-cancelled/
  11. https://www.qrl.com.au/news/2020/03/27/major-second-tier-competitions-cancelled-across-australia/
  12. "QRL releases BHP premiership draw". QRL. 15 December 2020.
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