The NRL have confirmed that four new teams will join the NRLW in 2023, with the Cronulla Sharks, Canberra Raiders, North Queensland Cowboys and Wests Tigers to join the competition.
The NRL had previously announced the competition would first go to eight teams in 2023, with a view for further expansion in 2024.
However, all four teams put in bids to host a team from 2023, and the Australian Rugby League Commission decided to allow all four to join from 2024.
The Sharks have been one of the stalwarts of the women's game over the past decade, holding teams through all major pathways within the NSWRL, while the Tigers have also been heavy supporters.
The Cowboys and Raiders will add new markets to the women's game, with both clubs having their own academies and talent to pick from for their inaugural teams in 2023.
The expansion announcement follows the competition going from four to six teams for the 2021 season, which was postponed to be played at the start of 2022, and was taken out by the Sydney Roosters, who beat the St George Illawarra Dragons in the grand final.
Those two clubs will once again be joined by the Brisbane Broncos, Newcastle Knights, Gold Coast Titans and Parramatta Eels in the 2022 season, to be played as a lead in to the World Cup this year, with the grand final again likely to be played at Homebush on the first Sunday in October.
The 2023 season will see a longer campaign, with at least nine games per team, and Peter V'Landys - chairman of the ARLC - said the expansion announcement was continued investment in the women's game which matched up with the blueprint.
"We have a blueprint for investing in the women's game at all levels," ARLC Chairman Peter V'landys said in a statement.
"We have seen from with the quality of the 2021 NRLW Premiership and the tremendous growth in female participation that we have capacity for sustainable growth.
"The Commission have again demonstrated that the women's game is a strategic priority. The quality of the club submissions was excellent.
"The Commission had always left the door open to expand to a 10-team competition based on the quality of the applicants, and we have seen that come through both in the success of the 2021 Premiership and the quality and applications made by clubs."
