Sydney will look to make it back-to-back titles at the National Women’s Championship this weekend, when the annual event kicks-off on Friday at West Brisbane Bulldogs Rugby Club in Toowong.
Sydney, who took out the 2010 Championship, will be out to claim their eighth title but will face stiff competition from the Brumbies, NSW Country and Queensland in Division 1.
Meanwhile, Division 2 is also set to be a closely fought group with Australian Services (ASRU), Northern Territory, South Australia and Victoria going head to head in the round-robin stages.
Across the eight sides competing in the four-day event, 13 Wallaroos will be taking to the field in an attempt to be crowned Australian champions.
At last year's Women’s Rugby World Cup, the Wallaroos finished third which is the best result of any Australian side in their four appearances at the IRB tournament.
In the Championship’s 12-year history Sydney have claimed the title a record seven times, Queensland and NSW have taken out the silverware on two occasions while Western Australia has secured one tournament win.
The 2011 Championships will kick-off on Friday July 1 with the finals scheduled for Tuesday July 5.
Women’s Rugby is set to take an exciting turn in the coming seasons, particularly in the shortened form of the game after the inclusion of Sevens at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero. Australia are the current holders of the Women’s Sevens Rugby World Cup, taking out the inaugural crown in 2009 at the Dubai event.
