The NRLW is the top women's rugby league club competition in Australia and New Zealand. If you're new to the competition, consider starting with the teams. Here's our guide to the teams that take part in the league.
Key Takeaways
- The NRLW currently features 12 teams across New South Wales, Queensland, the ACT and New Zealand.²
- New South Wales has the most NRLW clubs in the current competition.¹
- Queensland is represented by the Brisbane Broncos, Gold Coast Titans and North Queensland Cowboys.¹
- The Canberra Raiders give the NRLW ACT representation, while the New Zealand Warriors give the competition a New Zealand team.¹
- NRLW teams often share club names, colours and supporter bases with NRL clubs, but the two competitions are separate.³
- NRLW expansion has changed the competition from a smaller early premiership into a broader 12-team league.²
What Are the NRLW Teams?
Obviously, the NRLW teams are the teams that compete in the NRLW. They're not women's NRL teams, by the way; they're NRLW teams, short for National Rugby League Women's Premiership.
teams, with the Bulldogs joining and the Warriors returning in the expanded era.²
The NRLW now has 12 clubs in the current competition.²
The official women's premiership is the NRLW, not the women's NRL.
Many teams use the same names, colours and supporter bases as NRL clubs.
The NRLW has fewer clubs than the wider NRL club list.³
The team list has changed as the competition has expanded.²
NRLW Teams by State and Region
Since the competition is fairly new and growing quickly, the distribution of teams isn't particularly even. The league didn't start with all the clubs, either. Instead, it launched as a 4-team competition and has since expanded to 12 teams. You'll find that New South Wales currently has the largest number of NRLW clubs, while Queensland has three teams across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and North Queensland. The competition also includes ACT representation through the Canberra Raiders and New Zealand representation through the Warriors.¹
NSW has the largest group of NRLW teams.
Queensland has teams in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and North Queensland.
The Canberra Raiders give the competition ACT representation.
The Warriors give New Zealand fans a direct NRLW team to follow.
The current competition reaches beyond Sydney and Brisbane.¹
NSW-Based NRLW Teams
New South Wales has more NRLW clubs than any other region. With teams across Sydney, western Sydney, the Sutherland Shire, the Illawarra connection and Newcastle, it's the easiest place to see NRLW teams. NSW is a great starting point for newer fans, since you have so many teams to choose from.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Canterbury-Bankstown, New South Wales
A major south-western Sydney club with a long rugby league identity.
Joined the NRLW in 2025 and are still building their finals record.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Sutherland Shire, New South Wales
A Sydney club with a strong local identity around the Shire.
Grand finalists in 2024.
Newcastle Knights
Newcastle and the Hunter, New South Wales
A regional NSW club with one of rugby league’s strongest community identities.
Premiers in 2022 and 2023.
Parramatta Eels
Western Sydney, New South Wales
A western Sydney club with a large supporter base and established rugby league identity.
Grand finalists in 2022.
St George Illawarra Dragons
Sydney and Illawarra, New South Wales
A joint club identity linking southern Sydney with the Illawarra region.
Grand finalists in 2019 and 2021.
Sydney Roosters
Eastern Sydney, New South Wales
One of Sydney’s most recognisable rugby league clubs, with a strong NRLW record.
Premiers in 2021 and 2024.
Wests Tigers
Inner west and south-west Sydney, New South Wales
A Sydney club identity connected to both Balmain and Western Suburbs rugby league traditions.
Joined the NRLW in 2023 and are still chasing their first finals appearance.
Queensland-Based NRLW Teams
With three NRLW teams, Queensland is also a good place to be if you want to get started supporting the competition. The Queensland-based NRLW clubs are based in major club cities with broader regional supporter bases.¹ You'll find teams covering Brisbane, the Gold Coast and North Queensland.
Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane, Queensland
One of the best-known rugby league brands in Queensland, with a strong Brisbane supporter base.
Premiers in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2025.
Gold Coast Titans
Gold Coast, Queensland
A south-east Queensland club representing the Gold Coast region.
Grand finalists in 2023.
North Queensland Cowboys
Townsville and North Queensland
The Cowboys give the NRLW a far-north Queensland presence.
Finalists in 2025.
ACT and New Zealand Representation
Beyond NSW and Queensland, the Canberra Raiders and the New Zealand Warriors provide important representation in the NRLW. The inclusion of these teams is important not only for local fans but also for the competition as a whole, as it keeps the NRLW from feeling like a cross-state competition and more like the real deal.
Canberra Raiders
Canberra, ACT
The Raiders give the NRLW a clear Australian Capital Territory presence.
Fifth on the ladder in 2023, narrowly outside the finals places.
New Zealand Warriors
Auckland, New Zealand
The Warriors give the NRLW New Zealand representation.
Yet to reach an NRLW Grand Final, but returned to the competition in 2025.
| Team | State/region | Club identity | Beginner note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane Broncos | Queensland / Brisbane | Brisbane rugby league club | One of the foundation NRLW clubs and a major Queensland women’s rugby league team. |
| Canberra Raiders | ACT / Canberra | Australian Capital Territory club | Gives the NRLW ACT representation and a clear non-Sydney regional identity. |
| Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | NSW / Sydney | Western and south-western Sydney club | Joined the NRLW in the expanded 12-team era. |
| Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | NSW / Sydney | Sutherland Shire club | A Sydney-based NRLW club with a strong local area identity. |
| Gold Coast Titans | Queensland / Gold Coast | South-east Queensland club | Represents the Gold Coast and adds another Queensland club to the competition. |
| Newcastle Knights | NSW / Newcastle and Hunter | Regional NSW club | Represents Newcastle and the Hunter region rather than metropolitan Sydney. |
| North Queensland Cowboys | Queensland / North Queensland | Townsville and North Queensland club | Gives the NRLW a far-north Queensland presence. |
| Parramatta Eels | NSW / Western Sydney | Western Sydney club | One of the NRLW clubs with a large western Sydney supporter base. |
| St George Illawarra Dragons | NSW / Sydney and Illawarra | Joint Sydney and Illawarra club | Useful for beginners because the club identity stretches across Sydney and the Illawarra. |
| Sydney Roosters | NSW / Sydney | Eastern Sydney club | One of the most recognisable club brands in the NRLW. |
| New Zealand Warriors | New Zealand / Auckland | New Zealand club | Gives the NRLW New Zealand representation. |
| Wests Tigers | NSW / Sydney | Inner west and south-west Sydney club | A Sydney-based club with a blended regional supporter identity. |
NRLW Teams vs NRL Teams: What’s Different?
NRLW teams and NRL teams often share logos, names, colours, and even supporters. However, they are separate competitions, albeit with almost-identical rules, so long-established NRL clubs may not have an NRLW team. The club ecosystems overlap, but they're not identical.
Many NRLW clubs share names, colours and supporter bases with men’s NRL clubs, but the two competitions are not identical. The NRLW currently has 12 teams, while the wider NRL club list includes more clubs than the women’s premiership. That means some rugby league clubs have both NRL and NRLW teams, while others do not yet have a women’s premiership side.³
The NRLW and NRL are separate premierships.
Many NRLW teams share names, colours and identities with NRL clubs.
Not every NRL club currently has an NRLW team.³
NRLW clubs have their own squads, results and competition history.
Shared club identities can make the NRLW easier for NRL fans to follow.
How NRLW Expansion Has Shaped the Competition
The NRLW expansion has shaped the current team list. With the competition adding clubs over time, the modern NRLW looks very different to its early version and the NRLW salaries have also increased alongside the league. By 2026, the expanded 12-team competition includes clubs from NSW, Queensland, the ACT and New Zealand.²
The NRLW has grown gradually rather than launching with every NRL club at once. The competition expanded to 10 teams in 2023 when the Raiders, Sharks, Cowboys and Wests Tigers joined. It then reached 12 teams when the Bulldogs joined, and the Warriors returned, giving the competition wider representation across Australia and New Zealand.²
The 2026 NRLW schedule shows that the competition is a bigger national event. With the expanded club list and special rounds like Magic Round, there are more teams to follow, more rivalries to engage with, and more opportunities to see women's rugby league clubs in action.⁴ The competition is building its own separate history away from the NRL, but using the identities of clubs to kick-start it in its first decade.
The NRLW has grown into a 12-team competition.²
Expansion has added broader representation across Australia and New Zealand.²
A bigger team list creates more club matchups and supporter interest.
More clubs mean more elite opportunities for women's rugby league players.
The current NRLW teams list may continue to change as the competition grows.
What would make you choose to follow a particular NRLW team?
References
- National Rugby League. “NRLW 2026, Signings Tracker, Ins and Outs, Recruits, All the Player Movement, Contracts.” NRL.com, 1 Jan. 2026, https://www.nrl.com/news/2026/01/01/2026-nrlw-signings-tracker/. Accessed 8 July 2026.
- National Rugby League. “NRLW Premiership.” NRL.com, https://www.nrl.com/nrlw/nrlw-premiership/. Accessed 8 July 2026.
- National Rugby League. “Official Telstra Premiership Clubs and NRL Teams.” NRL.com, https://www.nrl.com/clubs/. Accessed 8 July 2026.
- National Rugby League. “2026 NRLW Telstra Women’s Premiership Schedule.” NRL.com, 14 Nov. 2025, https://www.nrl.com/news/2025/11/14/2026-nrlw-telstra-womens-premiership-schedule/. Accessed 8 July 2026.
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