Rugby players rub shoulders with Australian Olympic gold medallist
GRACE Tancred from Gulargambone who attends St Joseph’s, Gilgandra, and Keely Holmes (St Mary’s, Orange) played for Polding and came home in third place of the virtual NSW PSSA Rugby 7s State Championships.
Grace and her Polding teammates – Polding is the name given to the team representing Catholic schools from the northern part of the state – were in awe when they met Charlotte Caslick, regarded as one of the best 7s players in world rugby. Charlotte was outstanding when the Australian team won gold at the Rio Olympic Games and cast a long, foreboding shadow over her fawning mob of Under-12s. What an amazing experience! Twelve teams competed in the two-day carnival – 10 state schools plus Polding and Mackillop (southern NSW Catholic) across two pools.
The first day was played in brilliant sunshine; the second in torrential rain!
Winners Pool A (Sydney North) played runners up Pool B (Polding) in the semis. Despite a 5-all scoreline, Sydney progressed to the final by virtue of having scored the first try.
Polding won the play-off for third in a remarkable effort for a squad drawn from such a huge area of the state.
Manager Peter Nugent says organisers are hoping for this tournament to become a full-on PSSA State Championship in years to come following the success of the fledgling tournament.
“It would bring the sport in line with the Boys 7s and provide a further pathway for girls wanting to follow in the footsteps of Charlotte Caslick,” he said