Women’s All Stars under threat as uninsured players fear risk of injury and loss of NRLW contracts

Premiership-winning Newcastle fullback Tamika Upton is the first to announce her withdrawal from the Indigenous side for the clash in Rotorua on February 11, saying she is devastated to have to make the choice between representing her family and job security.

“Representing my family and my community means everything to me so having to withdraw has been very upsetting,” she told CODE Sports.

“The All Stars is such an incredible week, but training and playing with uncertainty around private health insurance and when no NRLW contracts are in place puts everyone’s futures at risk.

“I had a long talk with (coach) Ben Jeffries who understands and was very supportive. He is coaching the Cowboys’ NRLW team this year so knows the situation we are all in.

“It’s disappointing and very frustrating, but hopefully I’ll be back next year.”

Upton is the first to withdraw but is not expected to be the last as anxiety builds around the employment security for the women’s playing group, who are all uncontracted and therefore without gold standard private health insurance should they be injured before they sign a deal.

Two knee injuries have been reported within the women’s playing group this pre-season – one of which is understood to have occurred to one of the most high-profile players in the NRLW.

Naturally, Upton and her fellow players have been unnerved by what is at stake over the coming weeks.

It’s a wildly unstable situation for the players, many of whom are risking injury to train with state league sides to remain fit for an NRLW season that has no start date or draw.

Those details are yet to be confirmed, and the season won’t be announced until an agreement is reached between the NRL and the Rugby League Players’ Association for a landmark women’s collective bargaining agreement – a fight that drags on.

The men’s and women’s CBAs are being negotiated in tandem, although one playing group stands to lose significantly more the longer the stalemate continues.

However political the fight is between the two bodies, it’s having real financial and personal consequences for women’s players who have become collateral damage to the lengthy negotiation process.

Without contracts for 2023, the part-time NRLW players are risking injury without insurance if they play in the Maori v Indigenous All Stars match in three week’s time – a huge ask with a minimum wage contract of $30,000 on the line.

While NRL stars often opt out of the contest citing niggling injuries, the game’s biggest female stars stand to lose an entire season and the accompanying contract dollars and security if they are injured in the clash – or at training in the meantime.

The risks of playing All Stars, training in the state competitions with confusion around insurance and who is responsible for paying the premiums, as well as no clarity around a draw or potential start date for the 10-team NRLW pre-season is making both players and NRLW coaches extremely anxious.

CODE Sports has reached out to the NRL for comment on the issue.

Upton, who is one of the competition’s best players and stands to earn more than minimum wage if she re-signs with the Knights this season, has been spooked by a few injuries to fellow players over the NSWRL Harvey Norman competition pre-season.

An unnamed high profile player has suffered an MCL injury during a wrestling drill, copping friendly fire while not actively participating. It’s an injury that could rule her out for up to three months, and luckily, is unlikely to cost her a contract.

However, some aren’t as lucky.

Illawarra Steelers player Olivia Patterson is understood to have suffered an ACL injury over the weekend in another unfortunate example of the risks involved with training and playing without an NRL deal.

Although Patterson has not been an NRLW-contracted player in the past, her chances of signing with the Dragons for 2023 have evaporated after suffering the season-ending injury.

CODE Sports understands that if any player were to suffer a long-term injury over the coming weeks, no NRLW club would sign them for the upcoming season.

While the establishment of multi-season and 12-month contracts would end some of the uncertainty surrounding NRLW players’ employment, an end to the CBA negotiations would at least give the playing group some surety for the upcoming year.

Harvey Norman trials begin this weekend and while some players understand what they are risking by playing without insurance, which was covered up to December 31st through their NRL contracts, many are opting not to play the NSWRL competition until the CBA is finalised and NRLW contracts can be signed.

The added implication is that players are required to play six games of a state competition per season to be eligible to play State of Origin. It puts even the biggest stars in a position to either train and play while risking injury and livelihood, or sit out the state comps and risk missing Origin eligibility.

As a result, anxiety is high within the playing group, and coaches and senior players are becoming increasingly concerned about player welfare.

It all puts the All Stars clash in a precarious position with many women still wanting to play for their family and to show pride in their heritage, regardless of the health and financial risks.

But the question, is why should they have to?