The National Rugby League (NRL) has today officially launched the 2024 Telstra Women's Premiership season in Sydney, ahead of a special Thursday night opening round kick-off between defending Premiers Newcastle Knights and the Sydney Roosters at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle.
The prime-time season opener on Thursday, July 25 will set the stage for nine blockbuster rounds in the seventh edition of NRLW, featuring 45 matches played across 15 venues.
Once again, the season will culminate on Grand Final day where the men's and women's Premierships will be decided together on Sunday, October 6 at Accor Stadium in Sydney.
NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said anticipation for the Telstra Women's Premiership season is at an all-time high following the historic 2024 Ampol Women's State of Origin series.
"The Telstra Women's Premiership has gone from strength to strength over the first six years of the competition and as we enter the 2024 season, we have seen interest in the elite women's game soar to another level on the back of the first-ever three-game Ampol Women's State of Origin Series.
"The players delivered on the field with an exciting, attacking brand of football and that translated to record attendances and viewership across the Origin series. Games Two and Three were both sold out and attracted TV audiences of more than one million viewers, shattering the previous benchmarks for women's Rugby League.
"We now take this incredible momentum into the NRLW season, and we are excited to see the continued growth of the Telstra Women's Premiership.
"The season schedule includes an exciting mix of NRL/NRLW double headers, NRLW double headers, and standalone NRLW fixtures aimed at maximising the opportunity for fans to experience the Premiership live or on broadcast across a range of markets."
Amanda Hutton, Telstra - Group Executive, Telstra Business, said: "Telstra is proud to support women's Rugby League as the naming rights partner of the NRL Telstra Women's Premiership.
"We support and invest in the NRLW because it has a profound impact on the number of juniors who play on the weekends, creates pathways into the elite level, and more broadly all the physical and mental health benefits that sport provides.
"We're excited to see the continued vibrant future for women in rugby league and can't wait to see all the teams take the field."
Highlights of the 2024 NRL Telstra Women's Premiership Draw:
- A prime-time season opener on Thursday, July 25 featuring Premiers Newcastle Knights and Sydney Roosters at McDonald Jones Stadium.
- Round Two (Women in League Round) featuring an NRLW double header at Allianz Stadium on Sunday, August 4 with Parramatta Eels playing Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and Sydney Roosters facing Brisbane Broncos.
- Five NRLW double headers scheduled at Allianz Stadium (Round Two), Totally Workwear Stadium (Round Three), Cbus Super Stadium (Round Eight), as well as Queensland Country Bank Stadium and CommBank Stadium (both Round 9).
- Sixteen NRLW-NRL (NRLW and NRL matches on same billing) double headers, six of which are like for like home and away match ups beginning with the Sharks' NRLW / NRL teams up against the Knights NRLW /NRL teams at Pointsbet Stadium in NRLW Round 4 / NRL Round 24.
- The Grand Final rematch will take place in a NRLW double header at Cbus Super Stadium with Gold Coast Titans hosting the Knights in Round Eight.
- Consecutive prime-time Thursday night fixtures Wests Tigers v St George Illawarra Dragons and the Sharks v Wests Tigers to close out the regular season.
- 6pm Sunday fixtures extending supporters' footy entertainment through to Sunday night throughout the NRLW season and the back end of the NRL season.
- The NRLW Grand Final will be played on Sunday, October 6, together with the NRL Grand Final decider.
Every match of the 2024 Telstra Women's Premiership will be available for fans to watch LIVE on the Nine Network, Fox Sports and Kayo Sports.
The full 2024 season draw is available at www.nrl.com/draw.
