The future of the NRLW competition is in serious doubt after two of the four competing clubs pulled the pin on their respective seasons.

The Herald can reveal the Roosters have told the NRL they will not take part in this year's elite women's competition as part of cost-cutting measures triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Club sources say the team costs about $500,000 to run every year and provides almost no revenue, leaving it susceptible to cuts as the game fights for survival.

It's believed the AFL subsidises some of the cost burden for the NRLW's rival competition, the AFLW, to the tune of an estimated $250,000 per club. There is no such funding for NRL clubs, leaving female rugby league in limbo.