With one NRLW season as head coach under his belt, the Canberra Raiders have decided to lock in coach Darrin Borthwick on a new long-term deal.
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Originally signed on a two-year contract ending after this season, Borthwick and the club agreed to a three-year extension.
The NRLW head coach will now remain in Canberra until the end of the 2027 season.
"I'm very grateful for the opportunity that I got initially and the trust the club showed in me to offer me an extension," Borthwick said.
"I'm very excited about our pathways here and the girls that are coming through. To be able to keep an eye on that for the next few years is terrific.
"I'm really honoured and privileged to be a part of this club."
![Canberra Raiders NRLW coach Darrin Borthwick. Picture by ACM Canberra Raiders NRLW coach Darrin Borthwick. Picture by ACM](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/168198572/db4868cd-f05c-45d4-8c40-0349129ec9e3.jpg/r0_207_4047_2482_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Under Borthwick, the Raiders narrowly missed out on making finals in their inaugural season last year despite dealing with multiple injury setbacks throughout the campaign and playing many NRLW debutants.
In the off-season the Raiders locked away several key players on contract extensions and recruited some new faces, providing a clearer future for Borthwick to plot his premiership plans.
"To have a lot of our leaders remaining here for multi-year deals, it's terrific. It's a good show of what this club is about and what we did really well in our first year," Borthwick said.
"To know we've got that core group still here, we'll keep building in and around it.
![Raiders NRLW coach Darrin Borthwick, players Monalisa Soliola, Simaima Taufa, Zahara Temara, and club boss Don Furner. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong Raiders NRLW coach Darrin Borthwick, players Monalisa Soliola, Simaima Taufa, Zahara Temara, and club boss Don Furner. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/168198572/0fc30ce0-fd70-4b47-a3d1-dfc696f2c5f5.jpg/r0_824_4970_3533_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"I'm really hopeful that is with a lot of local juniors and girls coming through our pathways."
Raiders chief executive Don Furner believes Borthwick has been key to the early success of the club's NRLW program, making his re-signing a no-brainer.
"Darrin has been instrumental in our club not only establishing an NRLW franchise, but also building a strong culture and connection to the local community," Furner said.
"We were able to witness this first hand during the season with healthy crowds at all our NRLW fixtures and we know this will continue to grow over the coming seasons with Darrin in charge.
"The performances of the team on the field in their first season were very strong.
"Darrin and the club's junior development staff have also worked tirelessly to establish and run female development programs and squads across the region and we are now in a strong position for the future.
"We know Darrin is the right coach to continue our growth and performance both on and off the field."
Several NRLW Raiders have begun training at the club's Braddon HQ with the pre-season ramping up on Monday.
The Raiders' NRLW draw was released late last year. Their 2024 campaign will begin in western Sydney against the Wests Tigers, with their first home game in Canberra in round two against the Newcastle Knights.
AT A GLANCE
Sunday, July 28: Wests Tigers v Canberra Raiders at Campbelltown, 1.45pm