Inaugural Jillaroos coach Graham Willard has been remembered as a pioneer for women's rugby league after his death last week.
Willard passed away on November 18, aged 83, having dedicated his life to the sport as a player, coach and official.
Willard coached the first official Jillaroos team in their inaugural year in 1995. NRL Hall of Fame member Katrina Fanning played in the side's first Test matches and said the coach's legacy stretches well beyond his time with the national team.
"He was one of the first men to really throw their support behind women's rugby league, long before there was any attention given to it," Fanning told jetwinvip.com. "His legacy was showing men how to be supportive of women's sport and to do it in the right way. He built pathways for women and took satisfaction from being able to help with that.
"More broadly, his legacy is about using the game to help people have something good in their life and make something of their lives. One thing he taught you as a player was the value of teamwork.
"Helping players wear the Jillaroos jumper was special but he was just as dedicated to the players who may only play in their local club side, he still turned up for them."
Willard played two games for the North Sydney Bears in 1966 before later relocating to Canberra and later transitioning to coaching.
His involvement with the women's game began when his daughter decided she wanted to play rugby league and he quickly realised how limited opportunities were for female players in the early 1990s.
Willard helped out in any way he could, taking charge of teams as a coach, setting up pathways to representative sides and working tirelessly behind the scenes as an administrator.
Throughout the early 90s he coached in the local Canberra women's competition, took charge of the ACT side and ran the old National Club Championships each year.
Willard coached the Jillaroos in two matches in 1995 and played a key role establishing pathways both in the ACT and beyond through the team's formative years.
His involvement with the sport continued until very recently, having served on the local Family of League committee and remaining involved in the Canberra rugby league competition.
Such was his standing in the ACT, the coach of the year in the Katrina Fanning Shield, the Canberra women's competition, is awarded the Graham Willard Shield.
Women's rugby league has developed significantly since the first Jillaroos team in 1995, with the Jillaroos developing into household names and playing in a semi-professional NRLW competition.
Willard was proud of the role he played in the growth and Fanning siad the current generation of players and officials has a responsibility to honour his legacy by building on the foundation he helped lay.
"Graham was always focused on helping to build momentum for things that would benefit others," Fanning said.
"He was never there to fill up his trophy cabinet. He was a humble guy, you'd hear things he'd done from his kids or other people. It was never about him, he'd say he got so much out of rugby league and he wanted to make sure other people did as well.
"He thought it was fantastic how far women's rugby league had come but he was always looking at what else we could be doing. He was proud of where we've got to but he was always seeing the potential of what we could achieve down the road."
A funeral service will be held at Norwood Park Crematorium in Canberra on Friday.
