In a decision that could fundamentally reshape the landscape of women's international rugby league, the sport's global governing body has torn down one of its most restrictive barriers, and the ripple effects could be felt from Sydney to London to Auckland. 

The International Rugby League board has unanimously voted to scrap the tiering system for women's nations, throwing open the doors for players to represent any country they are eligible for, regardless of who they've previously pulled on a jersey for.

It's a seismic shift. 

Under the old rules, a player who had represented Australia, England or New Zealand was locked in.

Those Tier 1 nations were a one-way street, and any player who had walked down it could never turn back, even if their heritage told a different story.

“The removal of the tiers for women will enable the game to take advantage of the expanding elite player pool that the NRLW has contributed to and with the development of women's competitions across the world,” IRL Chair Troy Grant said

“It will also expand the available playing pool across many nations to raise competitiveness and close parity gaps.
 
"It is a reality that many players are dual eligible and we want to give as many players as possible the opportunity to play in prestigious World Cups and elite international competitions.
 
“This will help boost the maturity of women's rugby league and goes hand in hand with the growth in participation across the world.”

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