They may be World Cup rivals, but Scotland's Olivia Fulton and Ireland's Melanie Griffith share a common goal to get more women involved in Wheelchair Rugby League.
With just four women competing at the Wheelchair World Cup in Wollongong, Fulton and Griffith - along with Scotland's Sarah Devlin and Wales captain Jodie Boyd-Ward - are proving why rugby league is the greatest game for all.
“Hopefully, this World Cup can be the catalyst for a lot of things and get more women involved, because it’s such an amazing sport,” said Griffith, who was left paralysed after a motorcross accident.
Previous World Cups have been hugely successful in driving the development of women's rugby league, with the 2017 tournament sparking the birth of the NRLW, which commenced the following year.
Griffith, believes that similar exposure to the wheelchair tournament this year is crucial to inspiring more women and girls to get involved in the game, endorsing the philosophy that "if you can see it, you can be it".
“I think the fact that it’s on TV is a great start and shows that women can play wheelchair rugby league," she said.
"I think it’s on nations themselves to make sure women are getting involved with their teams. They are going out and recruiting men; they can recruit women as well.”
Fulton, who is captain of Scotland, discovered wheelchair rugby league after her lifelong battle with severe asthma forced her to give up lacrosse.
Struggling with the loss of the sport she loved, Fulton was encouraged to attend a wheelchair rugby league session by World Cup referee Ollie Cruickshank.
“I almost bailed on my first session, but then I was like, what’s the worst that can happen? Am I going to lose an hour of my life? Now I’ve lost many more hours but it’s been fantastic,” Fulton said.
After 12 years of racing motocross in Ireland, Griffith was involved in an accident in 2022 that left her paralysed from the waist down.
After originally turning to wheelchair basketball, Griffith found wheelchair rugby league combined her love of team sport with a new competitive edge.
“Less than a year after my injury, I was asked to try out for the rugby league team and absolutely fell in love with it. Three weeks later, I made my debut for Ireland, and it’s been nonstop ever since,” Griffith said.
For Fulton, the sports mixed format is one of its greatest strengths, allowing players with different attributes to complement one another on the field.
“As a woman, I bring different skills; I can tag quickly. The men have got the big hits – everyone can utilise their skills," she said. “It's a sport for everyone; anyone can do it.”
While Fulton and Griffith are optimistic that increased visibility will draw more women into the game, they believe genuine growth begins at the grassroots level.
And with World Cup crowds at WIN Entertainment Centre having been packed with school groups, Fulton and Griffith feel hopeful about the future of female involvement in wheelchair rugby league.
“It was really great to see kids exposed to sports. People don’t see wheelchair rugby league that often, so getting full classes of school groups to come down and support it’s brilliant,” commented Fulton.
With only four women currently competing in the tournament, Fulton and Griffith are united in a bid to increase the number of female players, hoping the young fans filling the stands will help grow that number.
