The next generation of Australia's female rugby stars could be right here in our own backyard.
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That's the message from Wallaroos star Louise Burrows, who said women's rugby was at the top of its game in Australia thanks to the success of the women's national sevens team.
A three-time World Cup representative, Burrows will take on a mentoring role with the newly launched Empower Rugby for Girls program, which aims to provide a pathway for women's rugby in the capital.
"It's designed for girls 10 to 18 years of age," Burrows said of the skills-based program.
"I guess for myself I think of it as a good pathway for girls between 12 and 17 who don't have access to being able to train and play rugby, to develop their skills and then play rugby."
As it stands, girls are able to play in structured ACT Junior Rugby Union competitions until they reach under-12s, after which there is no competition until the senior women's league.
Should the program be a success, it could form the launching pad for a junior girls' competition next year.
Burrows, who has been playing rugby for more than two decades, highlighted the success of the Pearls – Australia's female sevens team – as a major catalyst for growth of the women's game.
"They've got a really good chance of bringing home the gold medal at Rio, they're in the media, [and] they're in the public eye," Burrows said.
Burrows said that the introduction of sevens rugby to the Olympics and Commonwealth Games "means that there's women that are seeing women's rugby and are going 'wow, I want to play this'."
The 19-Test veteran sees the 15-a-side format as a path to a spot in the lucrative sevens arena and vice versa.
The program will help rugby make up lost ground on other sports such as Australian football, which has grown the point where a nationwide competition will kick off in 2017.
"I think for us, losing these girls to AFL, it would be a real shame," Burrows said.
"Some of these girls obviously love rugby and want to be involved in it, but they just don't have that opportunity at the moment in that age group.
"I know myself that we would love those girls to keep playing rugby, and then when they come into our open competition, they'll be really experienced.
"They'll have so much knowledge of the game, [and] their skills will be at a higher level, which will only help to strengthen our own local competition."
Program director Josh Vaughan highlighted the lack of a structured competition as a serious concern for girls in the region, who are expected to jump straight into a senior competition after what could be a six-year long hiatus from the game.
Burrows is among the 40 extended Wallaroos squad members who will participate in a five-day training camp that kicks off on August 26 at Bond University.
EMPOWER RUGBY
Saturday: Every Saturday from July 23-August 27, 9am-11am. To register go to Empower Rugby.
