Group 4’s first women’s nines competition wrapped up on Saturday with North Tamworth taking out the title. Uralla Tigers finished the final day with one loss – against Bendemeer 12-nil – and one win – versus South West Robins 16-4.
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Uralla player Hannah Skewes had always dreamed of playing the tackle version of the sport and pulled the team together at the start of the tournament.
“It was it a thing I just wanted to experience and I am more than 100 per cent keen to go into it next year and pull together another team and get back into it,” she said.
“I definitely think we're going to have to start training a little bit earlier for it. We had a meeting [Tuesday] night with all the girls and we think our coaches and stuff for running around each weekend coming down with this and the thing I could pull out of it was I was so amazed at the support we got not only from our community members but there was people from Guyra. It was just ridiculous how well we were supported. It is just wonderful because if we didn't have that support it wouldn't happen.”
Earlier this week, the NRL announced they will introduce a national women’s competition next year and Country Rugby League formed representative pathways for the sport, including fielding a side at the new National Championships this year.
Local players will have the chance to pull on representative stripes for their Groups in February 18 with a competition in Muswellbrook to be conducted in February.
Skewes said it is an exciting time for the sport and she can only see it growing from here.
“We will see how it goes in terms of groups making tackle teams for women, that is what I would like to see,” she said.
“That is where I want to get to – a Group that has men's tackle and an option and whether they want to play women's tackle or league tag. It would be great to get to that point we will have to keep working at it.”