Women’s sevens matches to kick off ladies’ day at Dangar Park tomorrow

Narrabri Rugby Club will host its annual ladies’ day celebration at Dangar Park tomorrow where the Blue Boars will host the Gunnedah Red Devils in all three grades in the eighth round of the 2021 Central North Rugby Union season.

It will run as a twilight event, with the first grade fixture scheduled to kick off at 5.20pm and be contested into the night under lights.

Earlier in the afternoon, action will begin at 3.10pm when Narrabri’s women’s sevens side plays its first of two games against Gunnedah.

The second women’s sevens match will be contested following a short break from 3.40pm, then the second grade clash with the Red Devils will get underway at 4pm.

Tomorrow’s round eight games will see the Narrabri Rugby Club’s women’s sevens team run out onto Dangar Park for the second time this season where it will be chasing its first win of the campaign at its third matchday following four losses from as many competition games in 2021.

The Blue Boars lost their first two games of the season 36-5 and 29-5 against Pirates on home soil in round three, then went down 27-12 and 17-5 away against Inverell in round six.

Following its round eight games, the Narrabri team will back up next weekend when it challenges Barraba-Gwydir in round nine.

A major change for the women’s competition will see it switch over to a gala day format after round.

There are currently five women’s sevens teams which will have all played just eight matches each at the halfway point of the 2021 campaign.

They will all play 12 games each during the second half of the season across six gala days.

Each of the five teams will play two matches per gala day. At the completion of the final gala day, each team will have played against its four opponents three times each.

Barraba will host two of those gala days, while Narrabri, Inverell, Pirates and Gunnedah will host one each.

The first gala day of the season will be played in round 10 on Saturday, June 19, at Inverell, where the Narrabri side will take on Gunnedah and Barraba-Gwydir.

Narrabri will host the final gala day at Dangar Park during the final round of the CNRU season on Saturday, August 14, when the club’s first grade team takes on Barraba in first grade.

The women’s sevens team will play against both Gunnedah and Barraba-Gwydir that day.

Meanwhile, tomorrow’s main game is a top-of-the-table first grade clash between first placed Gunnedah and second-placed Narrabri. The reserve grade game will see first-placed Gunnedah challenge fifth-placed Narrabri.

Narrabri’s starting lineups for all three grades are as follows:

First grade – 1. Daniel Baker, 2. Joe Maunder, 3. Will Turner, 4. Sam Knight, 5. Todd Farrer, 6. Nick Anderson, 7. Jack Maunder, 8. Matt McDonnell, 9. Matt Schwager (c), 10. Henri Knight, 11. James Albert, 12. Jacob Nichols, 13. Will McDonnell, 14. Nick Tomlinson, 15. Jydon Hill.

Second grade – 1. Chris Watkins, 2. Craig Summers, 3. Will Ciesolka, 4. Daniel Kahl, 5. Sam Kahl, 6. TBA, 7. TBA, 8. Linton Grumley, 9. Adam Hatton, 10. Alex Pay, 11. Clayton Pursche, 12. Luke Tuckey, 13. Jacob Booby, 14. Jake Sevil, 15. Peter Meppem.

Women’s sevens – 17. Peta Cox, 11. Toni Gale (c), 6. Lilly Cruckshank, 9. Breeanna Rose, 4. Pippy Donaldson, 2. Natalia Smith, 1. Gerri Cruckshank.