New Canterbury CEO Raelene Castle will run from the kick-off at the Bulldogs New Canterbury Bulldogs CEO Raelene Castle. Picture: Sam Ruttyn Source: The Daily Telegraph RAELENE Castle may have secured million-dollar television deals but some Bulldogs fans still want her back in the kitchen. "I still want to know if she can cook a good eggs benedict," wrote Dex on Bulldogs fan forum The Kennel. Amid some positive comments, other Kennel members labelled her appointment as Bulldogs chief executive a "joke" and asked how "a woman can run a man's game." Castle, the only female chief executive running a National Rugby League club, expects equality - but she doesn't like the tag "feminist." "I am proud to be a female but I am a long way from a feminist but I absolutely believe in equal opportunities," Castle says. Why reject the feminist tag? No particular reason, she says. "I am proud to be female, I like fashion, great shoes and all that stuff, but that doesn't mean I can't give a really good analysis of a game of rugby league," Castle said. I absolutely subscribe that girls can do anything is probably where I am at. I just believe that girls should just get on with it and parents should encourage their girls to do anything because there are great opportunities for them. Castle, who held the helm at the Netball New Zealand for six years, said there is not as much an obstacle in traditional men's fields as some may think. "I don't believe there is as much of a glass ceiling as people, females would sometimes make out," Castle said. But you do have to do the work, make the contacts, you have to put yourself in those situations. Castle's appointment comes as NRL commissioner Catherine Harris has personally called for clubs to appoint a woman on every board and for the game to have female referee Kasey Badger officiate a first grade game by 2014. "I haven't said this to (NRL boss) Dave Smith or the other commissioners but I would like to fly out a challenge, that by the end of 2014, I'd like to see a woman on the board of every club," Harris said. I am going to go to the commissioners and say let's have that as a goal. We don't have an authority over the clubs to do that - but I would love to see that. I'd also like to see Kasey referee a first grade game, we want women on boards on every club, we'd like to see a women in senior management positions in clubs and in the NRL. Castle, who increased Netball New Zealand's revenue by 66 per cent, naturally wants to be judged on her performance too. The straight-shooting Castle expects more opposition to her appointment - but more for her background in netball. "I am certain (there will be opposition)," Castle said. Just as much as if I was a man and I had skills from rugby union. If I came from rugby people would say 'there is no way we should have a rugby person involved'. Of course you are not going to keep everyone happy. I don't start my job until July 15 and I'd like people ... to get to know me better, then reassess it after 12 months. The 42-year-old Kiwi is not the kind to be flustered by online barbs nor boosted by niceties on an internet forum. Current Netball Australia chief Kate Palmer and others who have worked closely with her describe her as a tough and tenacious leader. Castle herself prides herself on knitting an organisation together and forming a strong team. "I can be formidable if I need to be but it would not be my baseline modus operandi," Castle says. Of all the NRL clubs the Bulldogs have have had the most troublesome history with gender relations. There are the 2004 gang-rape allegations then just eight months ago Channel 9 reporter Jayne Azzopardi bore the brunt of vile sexist comments at the club's Mad Monday celebration. Can one woman shift lurking bad attitudes in a football club? "I am not going to be brave enough to sit here and say I can," Castle says. We are reflecting society, these things happen in society. It's about the rules the club has in place, the expectation they have for their players. As long as everyone knows what the mandate of the club is, you can make your decisions based on that. NRL commissioner Catherine Harris notes her head office have never been afraid to appoint "formidable women" into management roles. However, Harris is not ignoring "old attitudes" that riddle the game and says Castle's appointment can have a major impact. "Having said all the good stuff about what is there, there is also, publicly, a culture that is very masculine, very macho and very dismissive of women," Harris says. When I go into public things with the NRL, you are either seen and not heard, like a child or something, or you are like somebody's auntie, mother, grandmother and everyone kisses you 'hello'. I find it amusing. So I think having someone like Raelene as a voice of authority is changing those perceptions. Suddenly women will become visible in the game. Ultimately, Castle believes being a woman can be advantageous in the world of sport. Her perspective is her gender will be an asset to the Bulldogs football club. "It helps when you have got the title," she said. It helps when you are the chief executive, that title does open doors. But I do think it is an advantage. I know through all my career being a female is an advantage. You have a point of difference, you think differently, you come at things from different angles and if you can deliver on outcomes you end up being really valuable. Two of the greatest influences on Castle's career have been her parents. Her mother represented New Zealand in bowls at four Commonwealth Games while her father captained New Zealand's rugby league team. "They were amazing sportspeople," Castle said. Castle wants more women to put themselves forward to take the top jobs in rugby league. Up to 45 per cent of NRL fans are women, yet only six women hold spots on club boards. Castle follows in the footsteps of Liz Dawson, who was chief executive of the Adelaide Rams during Super League in 1998, and Donna Burke also served as Cronulla chief in 1988 and 1989. It has been a long time since their tenure at the top and Castle implores women to be brave to put themselves forward more often for the powerful roles in the sport industry. "The biggest cultural change is not about being female, it's about having the skills and putting yourself forward for the opportunity," Castle said. I think women need to be braver in standing up and backing themselves that they have the skills and capabilities to do the job. I would absolutely encourage more women to put their hands up. Referee Kasey Badger recently said she was desperate to be "normal" in the world of rugby league. "I want to be known as a referee, not a 'female' referee," Badger said. Castle said she too looks forward to the day when women are a "normal" part of the rugby league workplace. "That's exactly how I feel," she said.