Harvey Norman Rising Talent Invitational 2026, NRLW season 2026, NRLW Magic Round, Wagga Wagga

Harvey Norman Rising Talent Invitational 2026: Everything you need to know

Author: NRL.com
Timestamp: Thu 30 Jul 2026, 02:14 PM

The Harvey Norman Rising Talent Invitational returns in 2026, with athletes and performance staff from across Australia and Pacific taking part.

This year, the three-day event will be held in Wagga Wagga to coincide with NRLW Magic Round from Thursday, July 30 to Saturday, August 1.

The event will bring together 70 emerging female athletes and 26 staff from pathways including New South Wales Rugby League and Queensland Rugby League, NRL First Nations Gems, Combined Affiliated States, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Tonga.

NRLW recruitment managers, club representatives and coaches will be invited to attend and assess the athletes throughout the event, which will be overseen by Jillaroos coach Jess Skinner, who is the NRL pathways strategy manager.

Last year's event saw a number of NRLW club coaches including Sydney Roosters and NSW coach John Strange, Newcastle's Ben Jeffries and St George Illawarra female football manager Sam Bremner attend.

Harvey Norman Rising Talent Invitational 2026

Purpose

The Harvey Norman Rising Talent Invitational provides participants with an important opportunity to showcase their ability, learn within a high-performance environment and demonstrate their potential to progress into the NRLW.

When

Thursday, July 30 to Saturday, August 1
Teams will compete in matches on Friday, July 31 from 2pm to 4pm and Saturday, August 1 from 9.40am to 11.30am.

Where

Wagga Wagga
Teams will compete in matches on Friday at Parramore Park and Saturday at Geohex Park (same venue as NRLW Magic Round)

Who is involved

There will be 70 emerging female athletes from pathways including New South Wales Rugby League and Queensland Rugby League, NRL First Nations Gems, Combined Affiliated States, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Tonga.

There will also be 26 staff from the same pathways and regions in attendance, learning from NRL High Performance and Pathways and Development staff. There will be a particular focus on upskilling and mentoring female and Pasifika staff.

Some players to watch include: PNG Orchids and Rugby Sevens representative Naomi Kelly, First Nations Gems captain, Italy and Prime Minister's XIII representative Kayla Fleming, England Rugby League representative Bella Sykes and former Wallaroos and Sevens player Nat Wright, who is currently competing in the BMD Premiership with Norths Devils.

How it will work

The athletes will be divided into four composite teams and exposed to elite training sessions, team environments and game-plan preparation.

The staffing model will also reflect the participating pathways, providing development opportunities for coaches and performance staff from across Australia and the Pacific.