2019 National Championships: Everything you need to Know
After it’s a success last year, the Harvey Norman Women’s National Championship is set for another standout weekend, displaying the best in women’s rugby league.
The four-day championship held at Burleigh will showcase teams from around the country, with representative honours to be earned.
New South Wales have announced their City and Country teams, which will help to select the NSW Origin team, and Queensland talent will be showcased through Queensland Country and South East Queensland teams. There will also be the Affiliated States and Australian Defence Force team competing in the tournament. All team lists have already been named and can be found here.
The tournament will not only be a deciding factor in the teams for the State of Origin in June, but also the 2019 NRLW and this year’s Jillaroos tests. Last year saw superstars such as Holli Wheeler and Shakiah Tungai debut in the National Championships and compete in the NRLW and for the Jillaroos by seasons end. The tournament is not only beneficial for finding new talent but also to showcase the highest quality of the women’s game over an action-packed weekend.
The six teams have been divided into two pools, giving each team two games before the final playoff. Pool one will feature South East Queensland, NSW City and the Combined Affiliated States, with Pool two featuring Queensland Country, NSW Country and the ADF.
Day 1, Thursday the 30th of May, will see the Combined Affiliated states take on NSW City at 12 pm, followed by the ADF team versing NSW Country at 1:15 pm.
On Friday, the Combined Affiliated States take on South East Queensland at 12 pm, with ADF and Queensland Country to follow.
Day three will see two State of Origin previews, with South East Queensland taking on NSW City, then Queensland Country will play NSW Country.
The final day will see first, second and third in each pool playoff.
It is yet to be confirmed whether the tournament will be televised or on radio, but it is likely that it will be streamed on the NRL website.
