Glen Innes have shown they are going to be a competitive force in their return to the New England women's 7s competition.
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Back after three years in the wilderness, the Elkettes kicked off their 2020 campaign in Tamworth on Saturday with a pair of wins.
The last side to hit the field this season, the 2016 champions accounted for the Magpies 21-10 and 12-nil.
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After having to watch on from the sidelines the first two weeks, captain Sarah Byrne said it was "unreal" to finally get out there on the field. There was a real excitement, which had built up through the week at training.
"We had the Inverell girls make the trip across to Glen, which was credit to them, and just everyone was that excited to play and I think that's what got us over the line," she said.
She said having not played it was a bit of a mystery how they would fare against a "pretty good" Tamworth side.
"It was really good to get the win and credit to the girls, we hadn't really played together before but everyone just came together," she said.
For a first hit-out they were pretty cohesive.
"We've got a few combinations, a few girls from Inverell, a few girls that have played tag for Glen Innes and it sort of just came together," Byrne said.
"Everyone's there for each other."
Byrne is one of a few players that have come across from the Highlanders.
"With there being no rugby in Glen Innes the last few years I played at Inverell," the Glen Innes native said.
She also usually plays league tag for Glen Innes - playing rugby on the Saturday and backing up for the Magpies on Sunday.
This year though it is all about rugby.
In the other games Pirates won on forfeit against St Alberts while Armidale edged out the Barbets in two thrillers. The combined margin was just five points with the Blues getting up 15-12 and 12-10.
RESULTS
Glen Innes 21 (S. Byrne, H. Crisp, B. Grange tries, I. Reardon, L. Craigie, B. Grange cons) d Tamworth 10; Glen Innes 12 (S Woolfe, E Hodge tries, L Craigie con) d Tamworth 0..
Armidale 15 (T. Landsborough, P. Walsh, H. Ford tries) d Barbets 12 (S. Gordon-Briggs, K. Gaukroger tries, S. Gordon-Briggs con); Armidale 12 (T. Landsborough, H. Ford tries, A. Barraclough con) d Barbets 10 (T. Brazier, A. Dunne tries);
