NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg wants his code to establish a domestic women's league by 2021, a move that follows the AFL's inaugural female competition which gets under way next year.

Standing alongside Jillaroos captain Ruan Sims at the launch of a federal government-supported, cross-sport initiative to prevent violence against women and children, Greenberg said the league would not be rushed. Sims agreed it was profoundly more important to "do it properly" than to do it first and the national skipper suggested the NRL, in taking its time with a female club competition, might even produce a stronger product for women than the AFL.

Todd Greenberg: The NRL chief executive says rugby league aims to have a women's league within five years. Credit:Getty Images

"I think it's only a matter of time," Sims said. "What I like about it is that we're going to do it properly. We're not just going to say 'the AFL have done it, we're going to do it'. We've got to make sure we do it properly so it's sustainable and it can actually stand on its own two feet and it's a fantastic product.

"It's the same with the Jillaroos. We could have thrown ourselves out there a few years ago, straight after we won the World Cup in 2013, but we took that extra 12 months and now we've got such a fantastic product at the end of it. We'll do exactly the same with club footy and I think we'll have an even better product."