Women's rugby league is 'still a very long way' away from professionalism, one of the stars of the England national team concedes. However, Courtney Winfield-Hill believes emulating England's Lionesses and having success in this year's World Cup could provide a 'silver bullet' for the women's game to accelerate its growth.
Since the advent of the Women's Super League in 2017, the sport has made encouraging strides. WSL games are now shown on Sky Sports on a regular basis, and double-header events alongside men are attracting increasing crowds. Winfield-Hill, who also presided over the boom in cricket in Australia before switching to rugby league, admits it is difficult not to be inspired by the Lionesses, who were crowned European champions last week.
She believes success in the World Cup offers rugby league a similar platform to catapult itself into the mainstream. "We want to do exactly what they've done," she told Rugby League Live. "Women's sport is making enormous strides across the country, and there's a flavour for women's rugby league too so it's up to us to take advantage of what the Lionesses have done."
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She did warn that in her opinion, there is still plenty of work to be done to push the women's game closer to a point where the leading players can become full-time professionals. "I think we're still a very long way away," she conceded.
"On a domestic level, some of the work that's being put in is very encouraging and the international game has stepped up enormously. But the consistency of the clubs at domestic level.. there is a margin between the best-resourced club and the least-resourced. So there's work to be done.
"The World Cup is a bit of a silver bullet in that regard. I think that could open more doors for things like increased central funding and other governing bodies getting involved with the women's game. I've seen that have a huge impact in Australia with Big Bash cricket. We've got an amazing opportunity to build on the Lionesses crew and get our names out there."
Winfield-Hill confessed that even as someone who is not particularly a football fan, she couldn't help be excited by the buzz the Lionesses have helped generate for women's sport - and as an England international herself, the chance to achieve something similar this autumn is one she is fascinated by.
"I'm not a purebred football fan but I think even the fact it's made me take notice suggests how big it is for women's sport," she admditted. "And how big it is for this country too.. I've watched bits and pieces but everyone is talking about it. Women taking over a traditionally male-dominated sport like football.. that's incredible."
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