Andrew Johnsen: More professionalism in rugby league opens locked doors

Another new pathway for women pursuing a professional sporting career is a tantalising prospect. PHOTO/JOHN STONE

Rugby league is on the precipice of a watershed moment which could have unprecedented benefits for New Zealand and Northland players.

The idea pitched is a six-team competition run concurrently with the NRL finals series in September and October following the end of the NSW and Queensland women's seasons.

Major details like what teams will be involved are yet to be hammered out but this is a hugely positive step forward for the game.

The current boom in professional women's sport, be it rugby, league, golf, cricket and the like, is creating a potent cocktail that could quickly become not only a massive drawcard but a financially viable one for the athletes.

Most NRL teams have indicated their interest but the one of most importance to the New Zealand game is the Warriors.

New Zealand's 23-16 final loss to Australia at the Women's Rugby League World Cup showed Kiwi players are more than deserving to play on a professional level.

This offers another playing pathway for women and, coinciding with the recent re-birth of the Northern Swords women's side, Northland players stand to gain a lot in the near future.

Payment schemes haven't been decided but with $3.75 million over three years under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, there's enough there to draw players to the opportunity.

Inside those three years, given the rise and rise of women's sports on the mainstream stage, surely there will be a decision made to increase funding and coverage.

In years past, gaps in the female pathway have led to girls having to play up in age groups or leave the game entirely for years on end.

That lack of depth has been the big stumbling block in the establishment of a top-flight national women's competition.

Having a six-team competition is a great step to give players a light at the end of the tunnel and with the idea of National Championship Carnivals and Talent Combines for those wanting to enter the elite level, the depth will grow exponentially.

Never has there been more pathways to elite level sport for women. Rather than having to make the decision between playing for peanuts but testing yourself at the highest level or spurning the chance for a more financially stable future, women could in theory have their cake and eat it too.

This sort of quandary led to the premature retirement - in solidarity with her fellow footballers - of former Football Ferns captain Abby Erceg in February.

Erceg recognised the challenges of getting funding, and the players accept it, but it denigrates on their desire to play at a certain juncture.

"I've had to work and play, and we know that that's going to be the case at some point in our careers, coming from New Zealand, especially because we don't have the money."

With all the recent movements to professionalise women's sports, hopefully we don't see any more early retirements and more storied careers.