Lismore’s Marist Brothers Rams will field their first-ever senior women’s tackle rugby league team in 2027, with experienced coach Jason McCombie appointed to lead the inaugural side.
The announcement marks a significant milestone for the Lismore-based club, which has been working towards a senior women’s tackle team for several seasons. Marist Brothers RLFC says growing interest from female players and a successful season for the club’s junior girls helped make it happen.
“We’ve been working towards establishing a women’s tackle team for a number of years, so it’s incredibly exciting to finally see it coming together,” said Marist Brothers President Anthony Butler.
“There’s been interest from players for quite some time, but we haven’t quite had the numbers to get the team off the ground until now.”
“We’re fortunate to have a really strong relationship with our junior club, and with our Under-17 girls winning the premiership this year, we’ve got some talented young players ready to make the step into senior football.”
The Rams have appointed Mr McCombie as inaugural head coach, bringing decades of experience across rugby league and rugby union. He has coached since the 1980s, including women’s rugby union in 2025, and previously guided a junior boys’ rugby league side to five premierships in six competitions.
He said the chance to build a new women’s team at a club with such strong community connections was particularly appealing.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to be part of something new at a club with such a strong history and connection to the Lismore community,” Mr McCombie said.
“Marist has a great junior base and some really talented young female players coming through.”
“There’s also a lot of interest from women who are currently playing elsewhere or looking for an opportunity to get involved.”
“We’ve already had expressions of interest from more than 20 women, which is a really encouraging starting point.”
The focus over the coming months will be on building a strong squad, with at least two training sessions planned before Christmas. Preparations will include a female-specific strength and conditioning program, with both gym-based training and on-field activities.
The inaugural women’s tackle side will give female rugby league players in the Northern Rivers another chance to keep developing and to represent the Rams at senior level.
“We want to create an environment where the players can develop their skills, improve their fitness and really enjoy their footy,” he said.
“There’ll be a strong focus on strength, conditioning and injury prevention, but just as importantly, we want the girls to have fun and enjoy being part of the team.”
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