Why the Bulldogs NRLW are Winning Fans and Games

We talk a lot about visibility in women’s sport. Yes, visibility is vital, but visibility alone doesn’t build fans. Connection does.

Right now, National Rugby League Women’s digital teams, especially the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are absolutely nailing that. 👏🏼

Take their Captain’s Run. Traditionally, this session is all business, a day-before-game run-through of strategy, set pieces, and mental prep. Usually captured through a muted carousel of “in the zone” photos. But the Bulldogs flipped that script.

Instead of sticking to the formula, each player made their entrance their own. Some danced. Some rode toy horses. The team speaker got dragged across the ground like a rag doll. There were dust clouds. Chaos. Laughter. Vibezz.

Every moment showed personality, and every frame said: This is who we are 😎

It didn’t look like a photoshoot. It looked like culture in motion. And here’s the key: they were still there to work. This wasn’t a distraction; it was belonging, because high-performing teams aren’t built on seriousness alone. They’re built on people feeling safe enough to show up fully, with pride, personality, and purpose.

The players looked like they wanted to be there, and they’re 2 from 2 to start the season👀 So no, this isn’t just for show. It’s a winning culture, on and off the field.

➡️ What the Bulldogs NRLW are doing right:
✨ They’re letting players be the content.
No scripts. No polish. Just players taking the lead, chaotic, joyful, hilarious, and human.
✨ They’re turning routine moments into memorable ones. A Captain’s Run became a mini character parade, instantly shareable, instantly iconic.
✨ They’re showing that personality and performance coexist. This isn’t about being unserious. It’s about showing that joy, trust, and culture elevate high performance.
✨ They’re building emotional equity, not just engagement. Fans aren’t just seeing a team. They’re getting to know the people behind it and that builds something stronger than reach.

➡️Why this matters beyond the NRLW:
This isn’t just a win for women’s sport. It quietly highlights what’s often missing in men’s sport content. In many men’s teams, digital content is highly polished. Professionalised to the point of distance. We see the athlete. We hear the quotes. But we don’t feel much. And that’s the difference.

That doesn’t mean men’s sport can’t do this. In fact, the Bulldogs themselves are doing strong work on their men’s TikTok account too. But right now, it’s the NRLW squad who are setting the tone: joyfully, creatively, and with a clarity of culture that’s hard to look away from.

If fans wanted polish, they’d watch the press conference. But fans want people. And women’s digital teams are delivering that, in full colour, full energy, and full authenticity. 👏🏼