The first season of women’s rugby league in the Eurobodalla is roaring to a conclusion, as the under 18s Batemans Bay Tigers’ side heads to the Collegians’ sports ground this weekend to tackle Berkeley in the grand final.
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The side – which boasts players who are competitive at all levels of rugby league and includes several from Narooma and Dalmeny – was undefeated until they lost to Berkeley in the semis.
Narooma players are Lilly-Rose Bennett, Nyeasha Hoskins-Moore and Rhelisha Roberts and Dalmeny players are Talia Moreton-Stewart and Nakia Moreton-Stewart.
Saturday offers the girls the opportunity to drive home to Berkeley that they are a force to be reckoned with, and claim this year’s trophy.
With the open women knocked out in last weekend’s final, and under 18s boys going down in their grand final on August 20, the girls’ side maybe the Tigers’ last shot at a senior premiership trophy for this year, out of six sides.
Coach Shane Chatfield said it was “incredibly special to be here for the beginning of their journey in Rugby League”.
“As their coach, I couldn’t be prouder. We have girls travelling from Narooma, Ulladulla, Bomaderry, and to come together and achieve what we have so far is unbelievable,” he said.
“We’ve been training since mid-January, and to travel those distances every Tuesday and Thursday is huge.
“We had a discussion at the start of the year about what kind of standard we wanted, and they’ve kept their standards high all year.
“We had a minor hiccup against Berkeley and I think we needed it. That loss really hurt the girls. But it’s part of their journey. There are always going to be wins and losses, but the definition of a champion team is how you come back from a loss. And they’ve bounced back. The steel is in their eyes, they’re focussed.
“Come Saturday, the girls are going to be firing. We want to bring that trophy back down the coast. And this wouldn’t have been possible without our sponsors, who’ve got on board to help.
“To coach a group of such lovely young girls and to see them reach the grand final is really special to me; it’s something I treasure, and I’ve told them, grand final week is something you’ll never forget. They’ve worked hard this year, and there will be a lot of emotion when that final siren blows,” he said.
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