This week, the Dyldam Parramatta Eels hosted more than a hundred guests for the club’s 2015 women in league cocktail function.
NRL and Parramatta District representatives, Eels family Members and Blue and Gold staffers were treated to champagne and canapés, and insights from a talented group of women, including Eels director, Tanya Gadiel in her first week on the Board.
"I am really excited about working with Steve and the rest of the Board," Gadiel said.
They are really a great bunch of people and they are really committed to the community so obviously committed to the club, the team and I am so inspired by their passion and I look forward to working with them."
The night proved a perfect opportunity for women from different junior clubs - and different NRL clubs - to network and begin forming new relationships in the game.
"It has been a terrific evening and I feel very welcomed and I am looking forward to having more of these events and particulary working with more women in league," Gabriel said.
"Tanya and I are catch up for lunch very soon so I am very excited about that because in the leadership level, we should be working together to grow the sport and I find that most of the women in the leadership teams of the clubs are interested in working together," Wests Tigers Chair Marina Go said.
"We compete on the field, and of course that won't stop, but our ideas around increasing female representation in the sport, we are aligned," Go added.
See photos from the Women in League function
With female participation increasing in all facets of rugby league, NRL Chief Operating Officer Suzanne Young has plans to continue to grow the role of women in the game.
"We help to grow and develop advocacy across the game so by having senior women involved with senior corporate, community and government so they get to know and love the game as much as we do," Young said.
"We have to expose them to it and we have started to do that through the Women in League program. In the middle layer of what I call the triangle, it's about growing and developming women's skills in the game so the Women in League mentoring program that we have up and running this year, and also the Women in League Country Forums, both of which are sponsored by Harvey Norman" Young said.
"In addition to that, I always want to see that development of participation across the game so whether thats touch, tag or tackle, giving women an opportunity to participate in the game. That could be as a volunteer, referee or any role that they choose," Young added.
"You can't be what you can't see, and that's why I think it's so improtant to have female role models in this game," Go said.
"I always say to young women whatever you want to be, you need to tell people about it. You will be suprised how many people want to help you."
"I have always done that in my career, said that this is what I want to do next and you will be suprised how many people want to help you." Go added.
