When Tigers hooker Sarah Stewart slipped a pass that led to a match-winning try against GSR Wests Tigers at Aberdeen this month, the first person she saw was her father, John Hickey.
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The multi-sport professional coach was watching from the sidelines. "He was literally jumping up and down with his hands in the air, cheering," Stewart said. "So that was pretty special."
Also special was when Hickey got to see his daughter run out in Tigers colours for the first time, against the Northern Rivers Titans the weekend prior to the GSR Wests Tigers clash.
Hickey played for Greater Northern many years earlier - a hooker like his daughter. He coaches the Red Devil women, whom Stewart led to a debut premiership last season - two years after she drove the formation of the side.
Stewart was a gymnast as a child. Her brother Jack was the rugby league player.
"I said to Dad after I'd played for the Tigers for the first time, I said, 'I bet it wasn't your daughter that you thought who would be playing for the Tigers. And he was like, 'One hundred per cent.'
"But I think that was one of his proudest moments, watching me run out in the colours that he wore too."
Just over two years ago, Hickey told his daughter to "pick a sport" and he would mentor her. She picked league tag.
"He said, 'I'm not coaching that. If you wanna play football, we'll play tackle,'" Stewart recalled. "That's how I ended up playing rugby. That's how the Red Devils [women] started."
Stewart is a rugby league rookie. Prior to this year, the Central North rugby union representative's only league experience was two nines games for Gunnedah in 2019. She acknowledged that lining up for the Tigers was a big step up in class.
Undefeated Greater Northern have made the semi-finals, although the Country Championships has joined the litany of suspended competitions due to the Covid-19 epidemic.
"We're into the semis, but obviously that's up in the air about when we can play again," she said. "That's a bit disappointing, when we were on as good roll. And it's hard when we can't train, either." She added: "I'm not confident at all [that the comp will resume]."
That would be an unfortunate end to what has been one of Stewart's most cherish sporting phases. She said the Tigers' "high standard" had "forced" her to elevate her own game.
"Playing for the Tigers has been amazing. The coaching staff and the management team are so professional, really organised, and are really dedicated to making sure that everyone's focusing on their own goals and playing the best footy they can play."
Stewart and her husband, Lincoln, have a daughter, two-year-old Reggie. Stewart said she would not be able to pursue representative football without the support of her family. Her mother, champion triathlete Donna Hickey, is a constant on the sidelines, looking after Reggie. "She comes to everyone of my games so that my daughter can be with me."