Make the call be a ref!

Women in League Officiating Program (WILOP)

NRL.COM ARTICLE

Becoming an elite match official in Rugby League has never been more available to females from the grassroots level to the international scene.

The WILOP is a development program focused solely on the development of female match officials from Community Football through to Tier 2 Officiating competitions (Intrust Super and Canterbury Cups).

Female Officials from across Australia have invested in the technical, physical and personal skillsets through education programs focused on the best strategies for how female officials develop.

Targeted approaches are taken to provide the best environment for officials to learn at their appropriate level, with Community Officials looking for technical officiating skills to improve how they referee.

A targeted Pathway Program seeks to identify the next generation of potential female officials, providing a supported development journey engaging more in personal wellbeing, leadership and specific characteristics that assist in progressing this group into Tier 2 competitions.

Supporting the success of this program has been the engagement and input of our two Elite Squad Officials Belinda Sharpe and Kasey Badger, both who have participated in the foundational aspects of what WILOP looks like today.

Sharpe began her officiating in Queensland before moving to Sydney in 2018 to accept a full-time role as a leading match official in the NRL.

She made her NRL debut as a referee in 2019.

Badger previously came through the junior representative system in Sydney as part of her development.

She is a regular as a touch judge in NRL matches as she continues to strive towards an opportunity to officiate in the middle.