Nine members of the triumphant Western Rams team have been named in the NSW Country side for the four-day NRL National Women’s Championships at the Gold Coast this week (Thursday 21 March-Sunday 24 March).
The Rams ran in six tries to two to beat the North Coast Bulldogs 28-12 in last Saturday’s (16 March) Westpac Women’s Country Championships Grand Final at Woy Woy Oval. (Pictured above is No.6 Carly Abbott)
The NSWRL is also sending a NSW City side as part of the Nationals, where 12 teams have been split into three pools in a round-robin format. Papua New Guinea and Fiji are competing for the first time.
The NSW City team has been drawn from seven clubs: St George Dragons, Mounties, Wests Tigers, Wentworthville Magpies, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Illawarra Steelers and Central Coast Roosters.
“It’s an opportunity for non-contracted NRLW players to go up and play in a tournament that NRL clubs will be watching closely,” NSWRL Female Pathways Manager and Westpac NSW Sky Blues coach Kylie Hilder said.
“Hopefully they will pick up a contract so they can continue their Rugby League journey.
“All the games will be live streamed so any clubs in the QRL or NSWRL women’s competitions can also see the talent coming through.
“It is purely a talent-identification carnival. But if any young Rugby League players want to get noticed, this is the place to be.”
Matches will be played in 2 x 20-minute halves with a 10-minute halftime.
The venue is Pizzey Park, home of the Burleigh Bears.
The inclusion of the two Pacific teams in the tournament for the first time has been made possible by the PacificAus Sports Program.
It is an Australian Government sports initiative to develop pathways for Pacific teams and athletes to compete in elite competitions and access high performance coaching.
The program partners with Australian national sports organisations – including the NRL and NSWRL - to support a range of sports in the Pacific.
The NSWRL teams selected to compete are (in alphabetical order):
Westpac NSW City: Georgina Brooker (St George Dragons), Marley Cardell (Mounties), Kahu Cassidy (Mounties), Teina Clark (Mounties), Brittany Constable (St George Dragons), Madison-Lee Kelly (St George Dragons), Claire Kennedy (Wests Tigers), Lily Mock (Wentworthville Magpies), Sonia Mose (Mounties), Taina Naividi (Mounties), Jodeci Nicholson (Wentworthville Magpies), Katrina Phippen (St George Dragons), Adi Patricia Raikadroka (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Heidi Regan (St George Dragons), Lily Rogan (Illawarra Steelers), Mareva Swann (Wentworthville Magpies), Sharni Waters (Central Coast Roosters), Brooke Wilkins (Mounties), Anneka Wilson (Wentworthville Magpies), Leilani Wilson (Wentworthville Magpies). Coach: Lino Salafai
Westpac NSW Country: Carly Abbott (Western Rams), Tiana Anderson (Western Rams), Rosaline Aumale (Monaro), Lilly Baker (Western Rams), Nikki Berryman (Northern Tigers), Xanthe Booth (Western Rams), Sarah Colman (Western Rams), Anna Dingley (Monaro), Alicia Earsman (Western Rams), Ava Glassie (North Coast Bulldogs), Teliya Hetaraka (Monaro), Danielle Plummer (Western Rams), Zoe Podmore (Monaro), Piper Rankmore (Northern Tigers), Alahna Ryan (Western Rams), Rebecca Smyth (Western Rams), Madyson Tooth (Monaro), Caitlin Turn bull (Monaro), Gisela Vea (Monaro), Zali Waihape (Monaro). Coach: Melissa Spero
