Commitment and sacrifice have been the cornerstones of female rugby league for decades but in 2020 the part-time and semi-professional athletes were truly put to the test.
After fears the NRL Telstra Women s Premiership and Harvey Norman State of Origin event wouldn t go ahead in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NRL officials ended that talk with confirmation of a 2020 season.
The next step was to ensure coaches and support staff could get players onto the field given the challenges created by COVID-19. Then the players had to agree to the strict biosecurity measures in place.
From international and state border closures across Australia and New Zealand that would force 14-day quarantining in some cases, to players filling out pre-screen forms that detailed their everyday movements for up to three months.