For Jess Slade, being part of Quirindi's maiden foray into women's rugby last season was so much fun she felt like she had missing out on something by not playing sooner.
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While she had long enjoyed watching rugby, until last season she hadn't really had the opportunity to actually lace up the boots. But she "instantly loved it" when she did.
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So much so that when the Central North competition was abandoned and a couple of her Lions team-mates asked her if she wanted to come and play with Tamworth this season, she didn't hesitate.
"I just had that momentum," she said, ahead of the Magpies' clashes against an unbeaten Pirates side at Walcha on Saturday.
She is grateful to the Magpies for giving her a chance to continue with her rugby journey.
"We didn't have the competitions, or they weren't as widely popular, that the schoolgirls have now," the 35-year old mother of three reflected.
"I would have loved to have pursued competitive pathways in women's rugby, particularly sevens. So I'm making the most of it while I can play and love the sport."
Slade has fully immersed herself in rugby.
She also helps coach the Quirindi High girls sides and is a proud parent with her 12-year old daughter, Scarlett, who plays rugby after being inspired to do so by her mother.
Slade was a few games into last season when Scarlett asked her if she could sign-up for rugby.
"I just love being able to watch her now," Slade said.
Scarlett is playing in the Friday night competition, and is about to trial for the Central North under-14 team, for the chance to play at the sevens state championships this year.
"It's nice to have that common ground and have a really common passion for it," Slade said, adding that they are similarly very competitive.
Slade, who also has an 18-year old and 11-year old, manages the McCulloch Agencies branch in Quirindi and has been around the area pretty much most of her life.
Before joining the Lions, she hadn't really thought about playing the game - although she didn't take a lot of convincing to swap the taps for the boots (she worked behind the bar at the Lions for about five years).
"I was very keen once they asked me," she said.
She had played a lot of touch football and had also played a bit of league when she was in primary school, so the footy concept wasn't completely unfamiliar.
And she had a pretty good idea of the rules from all her years of watching Bledisloe Cup games and the Waratahs and Lions.
