Northern Redbacks all-female soccer club merges with ECU Joondalup to form Perth RedStar

One of Western Australia's rare all-female soccer clubs has been forced to merge with one of Perth's biggest clubs, as it battles for survival in an increasingly demanding environment.

The Northern Redbacks will unite with ECU Joondalup to form Perth RedStar, with the new club to play its first games in March.

It marks the end of more than 30 years of female-only soccer from the Redbacks, which boasts several Matildas and other international players among its alumni.

«We've been a very strong team for almost the whole of our existence,» club spokesman Neil Bennett told the ABC.

«But what we're finding is increasingly greater demands on the financial side of things.

»As a result of that, we, in order to continue to compete at the very highest level, had to reach out and try and find partners from the men's game."

The club was run by volunteers, and relied heavily on takings from the canteen to fund operations.

The arrival of COVID-19 had a substantial impact on match attendance, which flowed onto the takings.

The Redbacks also started competing in the state's National Premier League Women's (NPLW) competition, which increased the financial strain on the club.

«The financial costs involved in that are far more than we used to expect,» Mr Bennett said.

«We now have to pay for three officials every game.»

There are also registration fees, the cost of a physiotherapist and funding for coaches to be considered.

«All of that has led to a situation where we tried to absorb the cost as much as we possibly could. But we just found it to be impossible to continue on in the way that we wanted to.»

The club began its search for a partner several years ago, when it first entered the NPLW, as it required a higher-standard home ground.

It entered a