Beaudesert’s Kingfishers women’s team has introduced a new player’s academy in a move which they hope will ultimately see the senior women’s team elevated into the SEQ Premier competition.
Buoyed by their premiership success last year the club is now looking to groom players from Under 15’s up to become future top league players.
Co-coaches of the Kingfishers women’s team, Rob Brown and Keith Gee, formally launched the Kingfisher’s Women’s Development Academy earlier this month and they have already brought the initial academy members together for their first group session.
While the academy’s key aim is to bring players through to strengthen the senior team it also has a secondary purpose and that is to keep players in the game.
“It’s unfortunate that we have some girls playing the game in the Under 17’s who then find themselves ineligible to play in the senior division because they turn 18 after the senior season finishes,” Rob Brown said.
“At the moment girls have to be 18 years-old to play senior football and rather than see these players sitting around and perhaps adopting other sports we want to keep them engaged,” he said.
“We are taking this age issue to the league, but in the meantime we have decided to act and the academy will certainly help with this.”
Fellow senior coach, Keith Gee, said the academy idea had already attracted six local sponsors and this would ensure those who join will be kitted out with such things as boots and training gear.
“The Academy will not just run through the current league season we also hope to take the group away for sessions at the beach and elsewhere,” he said.
“The girls from Under 15 up will learn how we train the senior team in defence and attack and how we develop their skills,” he said.
Both coaches stressed the new academy wouldn’t just be a night of running around the field getting fit with ball sessions in-between.
“While it will help with their fitness the primary aim is to inspire local girls to play top-level rugby league,” Rob said.
The Kingfishers senior women’s team has taken up from where they left off last year with a strong start to the ’24 season.
