Women’s rugby league has surged in popularity in recent years and the local competition is no different.
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The start of 2017 saw the inaugural North West women’s nines competition commence before the end of the year saw the first Group 19 nines.
The annual competition is back again this year with the start of the tournament set down for this Saturday in Inverell with Glen Innes entering a team for the first time.
A host of the Magpies girls turned out in the New England women’s rugby sevens tournament two years ago and Amelia Tunamena said they enjoyed being able to tackle and have wanted to try it again.
“After going and having that year of rugby, we came back and we love league tag but you do miss that physical aspect of it,” she said.
The growth of the sport saw Country Rugby League announce major changes for their representative pathways in tackle football.
From next year, women across country NSW will have the chance to play at a representative level for their Group, through to the Country Championships tournament.
Group 19 will be selecting a representative team for next year’s Greater Northern Championships.
From the Greater Northern event, a regional representative team will be picked for further honours.
If selected, women from the Group 19 area have the chance to rise up through the representative ranks and open up pathways to play high-level rugby league.
Tunamena said it is an exciting prospect for locals to have the chance to reach greater heights in the sport.
“I think if there's the pathway, it will give us a bit of a push,” she said.
“We are still quite young and we all love footy.”
The Glen Innes team will be made up of some of the league tag squad.
“We have ended up with a few girls from Tingha but the rest are Glen Innes locals and Emily McMeniman who played with Glen Innes a couple of years ago but didn't this season,” Tunamena said.
“She is a very good front rower, very, very good defence.
“She is very, very rough and very smart in defence, you can't really beat her.
“You get her teamed up with Breanna Grange there isn't many people who are going to get through the line.
“Emilie Hodge, our little half, she is going to give it a crack.
“Amy Byrne is making a return as well so we will have her in hooker for attack.”
With experience combining with newcomers to tackling, Tunamena is hoping for a strong showing by the Glen Innes girls against the rest of the Group.
“Hopefully, if we can get a full side on, that is really the biggest issue,” she said.
“I am confident because there are a lot of girls that have played and then the girls that haven't played, the older ones can really take them under their wing.”
