More than 1000 women have signed up to nines competitions this year and Uralla are excited to be part of Group 4’s first alongside South West Robins, Werris Creek and North Tamworth. Hannah Skewes was thrilled when she heard about the tournament starting and jumped at the chance to try tackle after playing league tag with the Tigers. 

“I have always wanted to play rugby league nines so I decided I would pull together a team with all us league tag girls. I think we have 18 or 19 players registered so we have a fairly big team. We have been training so we are looking pretty good for the season,” she said. 

A host of players from opposing teams have already had a taste of the nines format with the North West competition earlier this year. 

Skewes said it will be a new experience for the Uralla girls, with some never playing full contact rugby league, but they have worked hard and are ready to put their best foot forward. 

“They [Tamworth] are going to be tough because this is our first time in having a go at it whereas there is a fair few of them that have played in last year's comp so they are going to have one up on us in regards to knowing what it is like,” she said. 

“We have always wanted to have a go so we are keen but they have more experience than us. 

“We had a few run arounds at training, we train twice a week, and we have been having a go at tackling each other but in a game sense, it is going to be a lot quicker and a lot harder than when you are running around at training. 

“We don't have a lot of size but we have got that friendship gathered and that team heart and spirit because we have a lot of players we have already played with.” 

With women’s rugby league being the fastest growing registration area in Country Rugby League – making up 15 per cent of total registered players –  Skewes believes it can only grow and hopes the tackle version will expand in the future. 

“When I was a young girl we never got the opportunity to do anything. The boys always got the opportunity to go play tackle and they just did it all year long and it was like because you were a girl you never got the opportunity to do it,” she said. 

“I would say a lot of those opportunities are going to start showing themselves because people want to do it and it is about time we start realising there is a need for it and that we can get these teams together and we can run around and have fun. 

“We should definitely be pushing it more and trying to get more comps and organising an actual season comp, that will be the next step. 

“Trying to get a rugby league nines or a full 13-a-side rugby league women's comp happening around the area too because we are all keen for it.

“We have rugby union women's in Armidale and I don't know why it [league] hasn't emerged yet so hopefully that is the next step.”