WRLA (Women’s Rugby League Association) held their AGM at The Drop Kick, Bradford. Twelve sides have committed to playing in the winter league in the 2017/18 season; the eleven sides that played last year and newcomers Dewsbury Moor Ladies. The season will commence Sunday 15th October and finish Sunday 1st April 2018.
The finale will be the WRLA Challenge Cup and Plate Finals, once again to be played at Featherstone Rovers RLFC. The Lancashire Yorkshire Origin game will be played, once again at Featherstone Rovers RLFC as part of a double header with the BARLA Yorkshire Cup Final. The date for that will be announced later.
All last season’s committee members stood down and were unanimously re-elected to continue in their various roles. A new position of IT Manager was added to the WRLA committee. It will be taken up by Jake Brook who is also involved with referee’s appointments and discipline.
The clubs agreed the approval of amendments to the Rules & Constitution.
In thanking all clubs who attended the AGM, WRLA Chairman Steve Manning said:
“I would like to thank all clubs attending this AGM for re-electing all officers to their previous positions. It shows that clubs are happy with the progress we are making; the women’s game is now a twelve months game giving participants a choice of when they can play.
“In his newly elected position of IT Manager, Jake Brook – who has worked hard in meetings with the RFL and WRLA – will be adopting League Net (the governing body’s computerised administrative system through Sports TG).
“Our league is to be one of the ‘guinea pigs’ for this new system, and as a forward-thinking league we are pleased to have been given that honour. We are fortunate as a league to have the advantage of Jake’s IT experience, working within that industry, and his input during committee meetings before taking up this new position.
“As the WRLA has decided that IT is the way to go we will not be using ID cards from this season. We also appreciate, however, that one system does not always fit all, so we are lucky to have Jake on board and working hard with the RFL to make it work for WRLA.
“Having once again promised all clubs regular fixtures, home and away, I now add that it is up to the clubs to make sure those fixtures happen. I am crossing everything, hoping and praying we will have a kind winter, as opposed to an unkind summer!
“Finally, I would like to thank last year’s eleven sides for returning to the league, and to welcome our newcomers, Dewsbury Moor to the table. We wish them good luck.”