Nigeria set to recruit heritage players for World Cup campaign

Nigerian women’s coach Bolu Fagborun is set to travel to Australia with the aim of recruiting heritage players and securing sponsors for the African nation's World Cup qualifying campaign.

Nigeria beat Kenya in a two-Test series last September to claim the African berth at the 2025 World Series, which will decide the final women’s team at the 2026 World Cup to be staged in Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Canada (Americas), Fiji (Pacific) and Ireland (Europe) are the other nations in the World Series, which will be played at the end of the NRLW and Super League seasons.

To bolster Nigeria’s World Cup hopes, Fagborun is hoping to add Australian-based heritage players to the squad and assistant coach Luke Shearman, who is involved in women’s pathways for Wests Tigers, has already identified a handful of potential recruits.

Photo: Members of the Nigerian squad who qualified for the 2025 World Series. 

“I am hoping to find some Nigerian heritage players who will help us at the World Series and by me coming to Australia that will hopefully give the women a level of confidence to commit to playing for Nigeria,” said Fagborun, who played Super League for Huddersfield Giants.

"I am hoping that visiting Australia will improve my coaching, as well, and I am hoping to spend a bit of time with some of the NRLW teams and coaches. It will be good to see what is happening with the development and the training at that level.

“I also want to lift the profile of rugby league in Nigeria because most people in Australia probably don’t realise that Nigeria has a women’s rugby league team.

“The reality is that we have got to raise a certain level of funds to get to the World Series and we are really keen to tap into the support of the Nigerian community in Australia.”

Besides Fagborun, there have been a number of players born in Nigeria or with Nigerian heritage to play in Super League or NRL, including former Great Britain and England superstar Martin Offiah.

Manly speedster Jason Saab and former Bulldogs winger Jayden Okunbor, who now plays for Hull FC, are others, and Fagborun hopes to unearth women's players with Nigerian heritage.

A JustGiving page has been created to help fund Fagborun's trip to Australia to recruit players, raise the profile of Nigeria rugby league and secure sponsors and partners to support the team's preparations for the World Series.

Fagborun, who runs his own executive coaching and leadership business in England, plans to attend the opening women’s State of Origin match at Suncorp Stadium on May 1 and has made contact with Jillaroos coach Brad Donald.

Photo: Nigerian coach Bolu Fagborun will travel to Australia to recruit players and sponsors.

The domestic women’s competition in Nigeria comprises of five teams and Fagborun believes there are players capable of playing in the NRLW.

"I think one of the positives of the World Series is that it will give our women a chance to be in the public eye,” he said.

“I think that playing on the international stage will help them get recognised and create opportunities in Australia.

“They have a natural athleticism and there is a real resilience, because in Nigeria you have got to work really hard, but one of the things I am trying to develop is a rugby league IQ.

“That comes from playing more at a higher level and the World Series will give the Nigerian women a chance to do that. The women are coachable, and they are really committed.

"They were tested when we went to Kenya because Kenya is 5000 feet above sea level, and we played there on a Thursday and then we played on a Sunday, so it was a hell of a physical outlay from them.

“We went over with a squad of 18 as well so it was tough. One of the things I was really pleased was the physical aspect. They are athletic, strong and it did make a difference in Kenya.”

Fagborun said the Nigerian squad, which also won all three Tests in a recent series against Ghana, included players of both Christian and Muslim faiths.

“They are a really tight bunch,” he said. “They were singing all the way to the game and there is a real diverse culture within the team – a mixture of Muslims and Christians – so they prayed in both religions.

“Rugby league is a sport, but it’s also a culture, and there are values and a social aspect of the game that you don’t quite have in any other sport, I don’t think.

“To me you don’t get the sportsmanship you see after the games in other sports. Rugby league is all encompassing and that is something we want to bring across to Nigeria as well.”

Players interested in representing Nigeria or sponsoring the team can email Bolu@fagborun.com for further information.