Friends hit the rugby field
‘‘The girls are the big buzz in the club at the moment.’’
For the first time in over 20 years, a women’s rugby team has taken the field for Paremata Plimmerton Rugby Club.
The two-decade-long hiatus was broken by a group of Aotea College girls, determined to stick together, team member Eve Siania said.
‘‘We didn’t really know the significance of being the first team in that time it was just about being a brand new team.
‘‘I didn’t really know the history so didn’t feel any extra pressure or expectation.’’
Despite the lack of pressure the women won their first game 41 - 3 against Tawa which delighted the prop/blindside flanker.
‘‘I had to sit out most of the game because of an injury but you could see our girls starting to gel. I was so proud.’’
No stranger to the rugby field, Siania first started playing the sport during her school lunch times.
‘‘All our friends would get together and play it at primary school and I just thought I would keep giving it a go.
‘‘I was playing hockey at the time but ended up dropping it for rugby.’’
Playing with friends was the best way to get used to the rough and tumble of the rugby field, she said.
‘‘I got knocked around doing it with my best friends so you get used to being tackled that way.’’
Coach Findlay Siania said friendship was what made the team a force to be reckoned with on the field.
‘‘I was coaching the Aotea College women’s team and the girls were leaving college and wanted to stay together.’’
They had the option of joining the long-established Norths club but liked the idea of starting a fresh team, he said.
‘‘Having both Norths and ParePlim now shows the huge depth of talent Porirua City has in the rugby pool for women’s teams.
‘‘The girls are the big buzz in the club at the moment and their support team shows that.
‘‘Tala Misky and I share the coaching and they have a medic, a strapper, a technical advisor and a personal trainer.
‘‘It’s more than the men have.’’