SYDNEY (Reuters) - Women's rugby in Australia will emerge fully from the amateur era on Friday night when the sixth season of the six-team Super W gets underway with New South Wales Waratahs taking on Western Force at Sydney Football Stadium.

Crucially this season, every player in the competition will receive A$4,000 ($2,692.80) per match on top of any club payments as part of Rugby Australia's initial $2 million investment in the women's game under a five-year plan.

Players who represent Australia's Wallaroos test team will be able to earn up to A$52,000 in RA payments this season, hardly life-changing money but a great improvement on just a few years ago.

"Everyone's getting on board with women's rugby now," Queensland Reds captain Shannon Parry said at the launch of what she described as a "semi-professional" competition in Sydney.

"I think it's a long time coming, to be honest, if you look at, like, four or five years ago when Super W started, it was just this programme on the side, now it's the pinnacle of women's rugby in Australia.

"It's a lot better than 12 months ago, where people had to juggle jobs and take leave without pay. It's a massive step forward for the game."