Feminine felines show support for their sport

True colours The third annual Harvey Norman Women in League Round - which was round 14 of the Telstra Premiership - saw one of the world's toughest sports take on a very feminine feel.

Playing in pink did not help the Penrith Panthers.

The third annual Harvey Norman Women in League Round - which was round 14 of the Telstra Premiership - saw one of the world's toughest sports take on a very feminine feel. Australia's National Rugby League paid tribute to the tens of thousands of women who contribute to the game at all levels last weekend. The Penrith Panthers became the pink panthers, as they changed their kit colour to honour the occasion.

The Panthers' Jarrod Sammut even wore pink boots, while David Williams dyed his beard the same colour. Their assistant coach Steve Georgalis turned up in a pink tuxedo. They were playing the no doubt extremely masculine Manly Sea Eagles, who eventually managed to overpower the Panthers by 20 points to six. The round's other games used pink balls, while the shirts from the Penrith match were auctioned off to raise money for breast cancer charities.

"Women play significant and diverse roles in our game, from mums and grandmothers on the sidelines to coaches and players, volunteers, referees and support staff," said the NRL chief executive David Gallop. "But what they all have in common is they work tirelessly week after week to support and grow our game from the grassroots through to the Telstra Premiership level." * Alex Kunawicz Send us 300 words on your favourite team or venue and you could see your words printed in these pages. [e-mail]