WSL nurtures hope in battle to bridge gap to Australia

New season kicks off tonight against a backdrop of optimism in women's game despite thrashing in Vegas

- Aaron Bower

Rugby league's return to Las Vegas in 2026 was confirmed this week for the best of Super League and Australia's National Rugby League, but there was one notable omission from the billing.

This year's four-match card was always likely to be reduced after administrators admitted they would cut one match and, unfortunately, it was always likely the women's international between England and Australia would miss out.

This year's match, which the Jillaroos won 90-4 against Stuart Barrow's side, illustrated the gap between the two nations.

The ninth season of the Women's Super League (WSL) begins tonight with that result still fresh in the memory.

The sobering reality is that women's rugby league in England lacks the resources, player pool and financial power to compete with Australia's National Rugby League Women's Premiership (NRLW).

In Australia the best in the world are professionals, but England's top players are not, and that is just the start of the disparity.

Yet a full review was launched by the Rugby Football League into the women's game after Vegas and there are signs of cautious hope for the WSL.

The competition is not even a decade old, after all.