The 2026 NRLW season kicks off tonight as Australia’s 12 women’s rugby league clubs begin their chase for this year’s premiership.
The season-opener sees the Cronulla Sharks host the Newcastle Knights at Sharks Stadium in Sydney.
Here’s what you need to know before kick-off.
2026 season
The NRLW is Australia’s premier women’s rugby league competition.
The league has grown rapidly in recent years, expanding from six teams in 2022 to 12 clubs by 2024.
Last season also welcomed two new teams: the New Zealand Warriors and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
Rugby Union stars
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One of the biggest storylines this season is the number of elite rugby union players switching to rugby league.
Fifteen players with rugby union backgrounds have joined NRLW clubs, continuing a trend of athletes moving between the two sports.
Olympic Rugby Sevens star Teagan Levi headlines the list, joining the Titans after six years with Australia’s national program and a stint in the AFLW.
Madison Ashby also returns to rugby league after becoming one of Australia’s most successful Sevens players, while Olympic gold medallist Sariah Paki joins the Roosters.
The 15-a-side game has also lost experienced talent, including most-capped Wallaroo Ashley Marsters, who joins the Cowboys, and Wallaroos veteran Layne Morgan, who has signed with Parramatta.
Looking ahead
All 12 teams will play each other once across 11 regular season rounds before the top six qualify for a three-week finals series to decide the 2026 NRLW premiers.
Every match will be broadcast live on Channel 9, Foxtel and Kayo.
