By Russ Haylock
The 2023 season is a welcome homecoming for Windang junior Kaarla Cowan, after plying her trade for six seasons at the Cronulla Sharks. Russ Haylock caught up with Kaarla as she juggles work, a newborn and the quest for a title with the Illawarra Steelers in their inaugural Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership campaign.
Kaarla and her partner welcomed a baby girl into the world in the middle of last year and returns to her job at the local steelworks during the season but judging by her first hit out the busy lock seems unfazed by it all.
“I’m just loving all of it, she’s just turned nine months, and she’s pretty cruisy. Outside of footy, I try to spend as much time as I can with her before I go back to work,” Kaarla says.
Beginning her rugby league journey at the age of five with the Windang Pelicans, Kaarla racked up 105 games at the Club before, at the age of 12, she was no longer allowed to play alongside her male teammates.
Despite no all-girls teams she could play in locally, she remained involved in the game as a referee before debuting in the local women’s competition for Port Kembla at 16. A move to the Corrimal Cougars soon after saw her play alongside her current Steelers coach Alicia-Kate Hawke and teammates such as Jade Etherden and Mary Latu.
Shark attack
In 2016 she began travelling to Sydney to play in what was then known as the Sydney Metropolitan Cup with Cronulla and spent the following six seasons with the Club, primarily playing at lock. She won the Sharks Women’s Player of the Year Award in 2019.
The same year, she represented NSW City and the Australian Prime Minister’s XIII. She was also involved in the St George-Illawarra Dragons winning NRLW Nines team in early 2020, playing alongside current teammates Kezie Apps, Shakiah Tungai, and Keeley Davis.
COVID then forced the cancellation of the 2020 season and ended the 2021 competition prematurely, where the Sharks had won nine of their 11 games and were preparing for the finals series. She then missed 2022 in preparation for becoming a mother. However, she hasn’t missed a beat on the field this season, busy as ever in defence, and picked up a try in the Steelers first-ever HNWP match against the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
“I’ve always loved being around my mates in footy. You’ve got to love who you’re playing with, and I definitely am loving it here,” Kaarla says.
“I’ve played with a few of the girls since I was 16, and it’s also great to have some new faces.”
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Role model
She also speaks positively about the introduction of a senior women’s team in the Illawarra, hoping it will help inspire the next generation of female players.
“The pathways are really good now. You see little girls at games, especially in the NRLW, and they want to be like Kezie Apps or one of the NRLW girls, so I think that’s special, and I know they all feel the same way.”
As for goals for the season, Kaarla is keeping it simple on and off the field and says she will be prepared for whatever comes next.
“I’ve got small goals that I’m ticking off at the moment, just with my fitness and strength. I’m probably the fittest and strongest I’ve been while playing.
“A long-term goal is obviously the NRLW, if an opportunity was to happen it would be amazing, but I’m really just trying to focus on enjoying my footy, doing what I need to do and only focusing on what I can do, and then hopefully the other things come from doing good in all of that.”
With a full season ahead of her and an additional #1 fan at home, Kaarla will be one to watch throughout the Steelers 2023 Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership campaign.
The Steelers next match is against the Wenty Magpies on Monday night 20 February, with the game available to stream through NSWRLTV, or on their Facebook page.
Image: Allan Barry