A New Era: Sutherland Sharks FC and SSFA Announce Historic MOU for Sutherland Strikers Girls and Women’s Pathway in 2027
In a historic milestone for football in the region, Sutherland Sharks FC and the Sutherland Shire Football Association (SSFA) have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement to co-manage and elevate the Girls and Women’s representative program ahead of the 2027 season.
For the first time in their storied histories, both entities have formally aligned on a representative football pathway in the Women's game for the Sutherland Shire. This landmark agreement represents the next area where both organisations have unified their visions, signaling a major shift toward working better together for the benefit of the local game.
The MOU brings together the Sharks representative football expertise with the SSFA’s leadership of community football, creating a connected pathway that supports girls and women from their first game through to the representative level. The unified program will manage the Girls and Women's teams, creating a direct and seamless pathway from the Shire’s youngest grassroots players right up to senior representative football.
Quote from Laura Cowell SSFA President:
“This partnership is about one thing: creating greater opportunities for girls and women to play, develop and achieve their football ambitions. Our community clubs will always be the heart of football, and by working together with the Sharks we are creating a clear, connected and sustainable pathway from grassroots through to representative football. That’s something our entire football community can be proud of.”
Quote from Greg O’Rourke Sutherland Sharks FC President:
"Football in the Shire is always strongest when we move together in the same direction. This MOU is a testament to what happens when we put the best decisions for football in the Shire at the core. It is the first formal agreement of its kind between the Sutherland Sharks and the SSFA, and it sets a new benchmark for how we can work better together to keep our best local female talent right here in the Shire."