Minerva Network is excited to announce a new community partnership with Wests Group, building on their successful collaboration through the Newcastle Knights Minerva Scholarship program to now support women athletes across the entire Hunter region.
The community partnership will strengthen mentoring and professional development opportunities for the Hunter's impressive depth of sporting talent and emerging stars across rugby league, football, netball, athletics, and surf lifesaving.
This partnership represents a natural evolution of the strong relationship between the two organisations, with Wests Group having previously supported three annual Newcastle Knights Minerva Scholarships. Previous recipients include Maitland-based para-athlete Aimee Fisher, who completed her Bachelor of Medical Sonography, and Jules Kirkpatrick from Singleton, who recently concluded her scholarship while pursuing her Bachelor of Education and competing in the NRLW.
Victoria Momsen, Executive Director of Minerva Network, said: "We are thrilled to deepen our partnership with Wests Group and be more active across the Hunter region. The Hunter has seen incredible growth in women's sport activity recently, and we want to mirror that energy by strengthening our presence and support for the region's impressive depth of athletic talent. From our Newcastle Knights NRLW players to university athletes and emerging stars across multiple sports, this partnership will ensure more women athletes in the region have access to the mentoring and career development support they need to excel both during and after their sporting careers."
Philip Gardner, Group CEO of Wests Group, said: "Our partnership with Minerva Network through the Newcastle Knights scholarship program has demonstrated the real impact that targeted support can have on young women athletes. We are proud to expand this relationship to support the broader Hunter sporting community. The region has always been a nursery for outstanding athletes, and we want to ensure our female athletes have every opportunity to succeed both on the field and in their future careers."
The Hunter region boasts a rich sporting heritage and has proven to be an exceptional supporter of women's sport. Newcastle recently hosted the inaugural NRLW Magic Round, alongside Wallaroos test matches and NRLW State of Origin, demonstrating the region's commitment to elite women's competition. The region also produces talent across football, netball, athletics, surf lifesaving, and rugby union, with many athletes balancing elite competition with academic pursuits.
Jules Kirkpatrick, who recently concluded her Newcastle Knights Minerva Scholarship and hails from Singleton, exemplifies the calibre of athlete the expanded partnership will support. Having balanced her education degree with her NRLW career through the scholarship program, Kirkpatrick represents the well-rounded approach to athletic and academic excellence that both organisations champion.
Through this community partnership, Minerva Network will continue its proven mentoring model to connect Hunter region athletes with leading business and professional women, providing career guidance, networking opportunities, and professional development support that prepares them for leadership roles beyond sport.
The Minerva Network currently supports over 1000 high performing female athletes from more than 80 sports across Australia, with over 400 leading business and professional women volunteering as mentors. This Hunter region partnership ensures that geographical location won't be a barrier to accessing these vital career development resources.
Together, Minerva Network and Wests Group are committed to ensuring that the Hunter's exceptional female athletes have the support they need to soar, both in their sporting careers and in their contributions to their communities for years to come.
Photo Left to Right
Victoria Momsen, Kayla Romaniuk, Jesse Southwell, Lisa Sutton Gardner, Robyn Danzey, Sam Poolman
