The foundations for a future Gold Coast Titans Women’s National Rugby League team were laid at Parkwood on Sunday with the start of the first-ever Titans under-14 girls development program.
Fifteen girls and 55 boys descended on Parkwood for the first of four development training sessions, undergoing defensive and attacking evaluation, skills testing and gym testing to help refine their development as rugby league players.
Elite Player Development Manager Jamie McCormack said the introduction of the girls to the Titans development program had been a tremendous leap forward for the Club’s future.
“The girls attending was a unique situation, because we have never previously opened girls football up to a development opportunity,” McCormack said.
“The only connection we have had with girls previous has been at the Titans School Holiday Clinics.
Like I said to the girls on the weekend, they are pioneers.
“We had 15 of them signed up to participate in the development program. So technically, they are the first ever Titans development squad of girl players the club has ever had, which is very exciting.
“Hopefully, in years to come, we may have our own Titans Women’s NRL side.
“This first-ever development squad of girls could be the nucleus of something that grows over time, and could become NRL players here at the Titans.”
McCormack said the day had been a successful launch for the four-week program that gives players aged 13-14 their first taste of taking their football to the next level.
“Each of them pays a registration fee and they get a training shirt, a hat and four training sessions as part of the program,” McCormack said.
“The get four training sessions, the first one being on Sunday at Parkwood, then a couple spread out over Monday nights, and then back here again on 25 August to wrap it up again at Parkwood.
“This first weekend consisted of a couple of skills stations with Matty Srama and our coaches, which were defensive evaluation and some attacking evaluation.
“We also did some testing in the gym, with Joel Grech (Titans NRL Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach), then we did a talk to parents and players about our systems and development pathways.
“It was a really good start. The response was really good. We had lots of parents involved watching from the hill.
“All our coaches enjoyed coaching them, and we look forward to working with them at future development opportunities.”
