League Ahead joined the national conversation around the future of women in sport, presenting at the Ministry of Sport’s Women in Sport Summit, with NRLW Wellbeing and Education Manager Sheridan Hawkins presenting alongside leading female health experts.
Hawkins was joined by Jess Stoll, Women’s Health Physiotherapist, Director of The Female Collective and NRLW Head Physiotherapist at the St George Illawarra Dragons, and CQUniversity Associate Professor Dr Melanie Hayman, to deliver a session titled From Player Voice to Action: Lessons from League Ahead’s NRLW Rookie Female Health Expo.
The presentation explored how women’s rugby league can continue to build support systems that reflect the specific needs of female athletes, in a sporting landscape historically shaped by male-focused research, policies and models of care.
NRLW Rookie Female Health Expo - Recap
Using League Ahead’s inaugural NRLW Rookie Female Health Expo as a case study, the session highlighted the importance of listening directly to players and bringing together athletes, health professionals, researchers and wellbeing experts to identify gaps and develop meaningful solutions.
The Female Health Expo, held as part of the 2026 NRLW Rookie Camp, provided emerging players with access to education and support across a range of areas including pelvic health, menstrual health, breast health, injury management, nutrition and breath work.
The insights gathered through the Expo are now helping to shape future education, research and support across the NRLW pathway.
The Ministry of Sport highlighted the presentation in its summit recap, noting that the focus on collaboration between the NRLW, researchers, female health practitioners, and brand partners such as Chemist Warehouse and Neutrogena became tangible through League Ahead’s workon the inaugural NRLW Rookie Female Health Expo.
For League Ahead, the opportunity reinforced the importance of creating spaces where player experiences can inform the conversations, research and support structures that shape the future of women’s rugby league.
