RUGBY WOMEN ROAR
Girls ready for Rangers’ debut year
RUGBY UNION: They are excited — if not a little nervous — but are ready to take the plunge into a new Darling Downs’ sport era at Gold Park today.
Toowoomba Rangers’ women’s sevens team will become the latest member of a growing sporting phenomenon when they run out this morning for week one of the 2018 Emilee Cherry Cup.
The cup makes its debut this season after a productive pilot competition last year successfully tested the waters of female rugby sevens’ interest throughout the Downs Rugby region.
Toowoomba Bears, USQ, Dalby, Warwick, Condamine, Goondiwindi and UQ Gatton were all a part of last year’s launch and this season they welcome a new club to the block.
Rangers are next on board as the competition stakes go to the next level in a full-blown premiership race for the cup named in honour of the Downs region’s most accomplished women’s sevens’ star.
Rangers will be guided in their inaugural season by the club’s former colts’ coach Graham Strong and captain Fredie Fisk.
Fisk said Rangers’ novice squad was under no illusions about what challenges are ahead but it was ready to add another page to the club’s long history.
“Our playing experience is about 50/50 with girls who have played rugby previously and others new to the sport,” Fisk said.
“Quite a few have joined in the last couple of weeks and a lot of the girls have backgrounds in touch football.
“Saturday will be a big day for all of us.
“We’re all a bit nervous, but excited about getting the chance to get out there and play.”
The competition will run in unison with the Risdon Cup and will be played on a fortnightly basis with each Downs Rugby venue hosting matches at various times throughout the year.
Rangers’ squad includes former North Queensland rugby 10s player Kymberly Bouchardt who said the success of the Australian women’s sevens’ team is translating into grassroots participation — including at Rangers.
“I’m originally from Townsville,” Bouchardt said.
“I used to play 10-a-side up there for a couple of seasons with the North Ward Old Boys.
“All the girls there are really passionate and driven and that inspired me to give it a good go.
“I moved down here for my job and wanted to make a couple of friends and get back into it and when I saw on Facebook Rangers wanted to start up their women’s side I was really excited.
“I was excited to join a team that wasn’t already established.
“I was a little bit worried about where my skill level was and was not so confident on what I could do.
“But since being here the girls have been really supportive.
“Our coach is awesome and the club has got behind us 110 per cent.
“It’s definitely helped me build skills and my fitness level and I’m really excited about Saturday.
“Most of us have been here since the start.
“We came along to a meet and greet at the start of the year and we’ve been building from there.
“The Commonwealth Games has definitely given us a couple more girls since that all come about which is awesome.
“There’s about 14 of us now. We’ll have a good amount of subs.
“Skills-wise we’ve come a long way as a team.
“I really just love the team dynamic and the club dynamic as well.
“The boys have really gotten behind us and helped us with our skills.
“The friendships and bonds we’ve made together have been awesome.”
Week-one round-robin matches include Rangers, Condamine, USQ and Bears meeting at Gold Park from 10.20 this morning.
In today’s other play, UQ Gatton, Dalby, Goondiwindi and Warwick meet at UQ Gatton Rugby Oval from 1pm.
ROMA’S Emilee Cherry is a dual rugby sevens and touch international who was part of Australia’s gold-medal sevens win at the 2016 Rio Olympics.