Moree Boomerangs ladies side will be looking to improve their tackling skills when the Group 19 women’s nines tournament kicks off in Armidale this Saturday.
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The Moree side, which includes a few players from Moree Boars’ league tag team, will be taking part in the fast-paced, nine-a-side, tackle tournament for the first time this year.
This is the second time Group 19 have run the women’s nines competition, however Moree didn’t have the numbers for a side last year.
The women’s version of the sport is one of the fastest growing in regional areas with Country Rugby League experiencing a 63 per cent increase in female participation in the last two years.
Moree Boomerangs league tag coach Lorilie Haines said most of the girls would prefer to play league but don’t have the opportunity besides at the annual Koori Knockout.
“It’s the only opportunity we have to play league other than the Knockout,” she said.
“It’s good for some of the young ones who haven’t played league before.
“It’s something [the girls] are passionate about and it’s been something I’ve always wanted. I played junior rugby league until I was 11 or 12 and then I had to stop. Then you can’t play it again until you turn 17 and can play in the knockout.”
At this year’s Koori Knockout, the Moree women’s side were inexperienced compared to other sides who are playing league and tackling all year round.
The Boomerangs hope this nines tournament will better prepare them for next year’s Knockout and improve their tackling skills.
“It helps us put up more of a challenge against these teams who are playing it all the time,” Haines said.
The Moree girls have been training for the nines competition for the past four weeks, with the help of Rangs head coach Chris Binge who has led sessions on tackling.
Haines said she is confident the Moree side will go well in the three-week round robin tournament.
“I think they’ve got a lot of talent and skill there,” she said.
“Hopefully they’ll pick it up fairly quickly.”
The tournament will kick off in Armidale this weekend, where each of the five teams – Boomerangs, Warialda, Armidale, Narwan and Tingha – will play two games.
They will then play two games in Warialda the weekend after next before finals are held in Armidale the following week.