Canberra women's rugby league coaches are bracing for a boom in participation numbers off the back of the Raiders joining the NRLW competition, and clubs are already seeing the impact flow through.
The Canberra Times can reveal the Katrina Fanning Shield will be expanded this year, with three new teams joining the competition which starts on April 29.
It has forced competition organisers to split the Katrina Fanning Shield into two divisions. There will be seven teams in the top-tier division, and another four in the level below.